Health care service costs for commercial and Medicare insurance programs are rising at a slightly lower rate, according to a Standard & Poor’s analysis.

The S&P Healthcare Economic Composite Index indicates that the average per capita cost of health care services covered by commercial insurance and Medicare programs rose 7.08% over the 12 months ending September 2010. That figure represents a slight deceleration from the 7.31% increase reported for the 12 months ending in August 2010.

Claim costs associated with hospital and professional services for patients covered under commercial health plans rose 8.54% over the last year, as measured by the S&P Healthcare Economic Commercial Index.

Meanwhile, Medicare claim costs for services rendered by hospitals and physicians rose by a more modest 4.68%, as depicted by the S&P Healthcare Economic Medicare Index. These two indices also saw some growth deceleration versus their August reports of 8.64% and 5.07%, respectively.

The S&P Healthcare Economic Indices estimate the per capita change in revenues accrued each month by hospital and professional services facilities for services provided to patients covered under traditional Medicare and commercial health insurance programs in the U.S. The annual growth rates are determined by calculating a percent change of the 12-month moving averages of the monthly index levels versus the same month of the prior year.