Auto Casualty Medical Price Index: Q3 2017

The National CPI for All Services, as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in November 2017 is 123.6, which reflects a 0.4 percent increase since Q2 2017. For the same period of time, Q2 2017 to Q3 2017, the National Auto Casualty MPI decreased 1.37 percent and as of November 2017, sits at 118.7. Since Q1 2006, the MPI has increased 18.2 percent while the National CPI for All Services increased 23.6 percent.

Physical medicine has seen a 4.2 percent increase in unit charge since Q1 2006.

• Charges associated with physical medicine services remained virtually unchanged having experienced a 0.68 percent decrease from Q2 2017 to Q3 2017. Physical medicine has seen a 4.2 percent increase in unit charge since Q1 2006. Please recall that the physical medicine MPI is looking strictly at unit charge while holding utilization constant.
• The unit cost for major radiology services decreased 1.24 percent in Q3 2017 from Q2 2017 and as of November 2017, sits at 120.64. MPI remains 20.64 percent higher than its Q1 2006 benchmark unit charge.
• The unit cost for evaluation and management services experienced a 1.1 percent decrease in Q3 2017 when compared to its Q2 2017 result. Over the past year, comparing Q3 2016 results with Q3 2017 results, the unit charge associated with evaluation and management services has increased 4.28 percent. Since Q1 2006, evaluation and management services have seen unit charges increase 78.73 percent as reflected by the index value 178.73.
• The unit charge for professional services in the emergency room decreased 1.4 percent in Q3 2017 compared to Q2 2017. Despite this minor correction, this service group has still experienced a 102.16 percent increase in unit charge since Q1 2006.

(Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, adjusted. Consumer Price Index- All Services- All Urban Consumers, Series CUUR0000SA0. Available at http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/surveymost?cu)