The average cost of health care services covered by commercial insurance and Medicare programs decreased slightly in the year ending in November 2010, with Medicare claims costs showing a sharper decline in growth.

The per-capita cost increase was 6.27% for the year ending in November, compared to the 6.68% increase reported for the year ending in October 2010, according to data from Standard & Poor’s for the S&P Healthcare Economic Composite Index.

It is unclear if any efforts tied to health reform, passed in March 2010, were the sources for slower gains in the per-capita costs for health care.

Claim costs associated with hospital and professional services for patients covered under commercial health plans rose 7.79% over the year ending in November, according to the index.

Medicare claim costs for the same services rose at a rate of 3.74% from the previous year, marking the lowest annual growth rate for Medicare claims costs since June 2007, when it was 3.55%.