Inflation Rate for Eye Care Trails National Inflation Rate

The Eyeglasses and Eye Care Services Index, compiled by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), increased 0.7 percent during 2011, more than two-thirds less than the 3 percent inflation rate for 2011, according to BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI) data. Virtually every year since the government first began tracking them, increases in patient charges related to eye care have trailed both the overall inflation rate and increases in charges related to most other health care services, says the AOA. Prices for eyewear and professional fees for eye care increased 0.3 percent in 2010. The overall inflation rate was 1.5 percent that year. Read more.