Adjusting Health Expenditures for Inflation: A Review of Measures for Health Services Research in the United States.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To provide guidance on selecting the most appropriate price index for adjusting health expenditures or costs for inflation.

Data sources

Major price index series produced by federal statistical agencies.

Study design

We compare the key characteristics of each index and develop suggestions on specific indexes to use in many common situations and general guidance in others.

Data collection/extraction methods

Price series and methodological documentation were downloaded from federal websites and supplemented with literature scans.

Principal findings

The gross domestic product implicit price deflator or the overall Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) index is preferable to the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) to adjust for general inflation, in mos

SUBMITTER: Dunn A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5785315 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature