Healthcare economic indicators have fallen and stagnated over the past six months. Even though revenue growth rates for hospitals and health systems from payers were up in April, they are still lower than rates recorded in September, when S&P’s Hospital Index hit its lowest annual rate (3.84 percent) since January 2005.
Hospital growth from commercial payers is still at some of the lowest levels in years. Through April, the Hospital Commercial Index was 1.89 percent, a new record low. In September, that index was at 5.1 percent.
Here are the latest S&P healthcare indices through April 2013.
S&P Healthcare Economic Indices (12-month moving average)
Composite Index: 3.16 percent
Medicare Index: 1.06 percent
Commercial Index: 4.54 percent
Hospital Index: 2.02 percent
Hospital Medicare Index: 2.15 percent
Hospital Commercial Index: 1.89 percent
Professional Services Index: 4.23 percent
Professional Services Medicare Index: -0.80 percent
Professional Services Commercial Index: 6.88 percent
