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Consumer Price Index
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Recent and upcoming methodology changes: 2024
Changes to physicians’ services and outpatient hospital services source data and methodology (updated November 13, 2024)
With the release of October 2024 data in November 2024, the CPI program replaced the data collected by the BLS for the private insurance portion of physicians’ services and outpatient hospital services with secondary source medical claims data. Details on this new method can be found in the Use of Medical Claims Data in the CPI for Physicians’ and Hospital Services paper.
BLS will continue to use traditionally collected data for self-pay (cash) and Medicare part B prices for both services, as well as for all inpatient hospital services.
The Measuring Price Change in the CPI: Medical care factsheet was updated with methodology details. Research leading to these changes are described in detail in the Monthly Labor Review article, “Incorporating medical claims data in the Consumer Price Index.
Changes to used cars and trucks methodology (updated February 13, 2024)
With the release of January 2024 data, the CPI program updated the mileage adjustment applied to each sampled used vehicle in the used cars and trucks index. Historically, a single, stable mileage amount estimated for a given make and model was applied to each sampled vehicle and remained unchanged throughout the year. The assigned mileage amount is now replaced with a monthly average mileage amount based on the age of the sampled used vehicle, and not the make and model. Each estimated price for a sampled used vehicle is still adjusted for depreciation.
In addition, seasonally adjusted indexes as well as calculated seasonal adjustment factors take the new methodology into account beginning in 2024. Revised seasonal factors are available at Seasonal Adjustment in the CPI.
Details on the new method are available on the Measuring Price Change in the CPI: Used cars and trucks factsheet.
Last Modified Date: November 13, 2024