Workers to Pay More for Health Care

[one...two...tree 2,762]

By AP/CANDICE CHOI

(NEW YORK) — Get ready for another hike in copays and deductibles. A survey being released Thursday by the Mercer consulting firm found 59% of companies intend to keep down rising health care costs in 2009 by raising workers' deductibles, copays or out-of-pocket spending limits.

On average, health care costs will go up by an estimated 5.7% next year for both workers and their employers, the study found. That repeats this year's 5.7% hike and a 6.1% jump in 2007.

The growth of health care costs has hovered at around 6% since 2005, according to Mercer. While that's down from the double-digit growth in previous years, it's still moving at a faster clip than inflation or workers wages.

"It's not something to cheer about, especially since costs are getting passed on to employees," said Blaine Bos, author of the survey.

The results were preliminary findings, with about half of the 3,000 large companies surveyed reporting. Preliminary findings for the annual survey have historically been in line with final results.

Between 2003 and 2007, the average deductible for an individual grew from $250 to $400. For a family, it rose from $1,000 to $1,500, according to Mercer.

Deductibles are the amount workers pay for medical care out of pocket. Once workers spend that amount, they begin sharing costs with employers, with the company covering an average of 80%.

Health plans are trying to rein in costs by offering choices such as disease management plans and incentives for greater use of prescription drugs, said Robert Zirkelbach, a spokesman for America's Health Insurance Plans, a trade association representing nearly 1,300 insurers.

"But there's certainly still more work to be done," Zirkelbach said.

He said AHIP has proposed a number of policies and measures to further curb costs.

The Mercer survey also found 47% of companies are encouraging enrollment in plans with lower premiums and higher deductibles.

Additionally, the survey found 19% of employers will start offering a consumer-directed health plan. These are high-deductible plans with employee-controlled spending accounts. They encourage employees to consider costs when by letting them save account money they don't spend for future needs.

Last year, 12% of all employers said they were "very likely" to implement such a plan by 2009.

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,...1838613,00.html

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

We have a self-insured plan, so I'm not worried

[Peikko 1,575]

Sadly, I just don't see this getting fixed whichever side gets into the WH. I prefer Barack's plan over McCain's (Not hard) but I would much prefer to see a complete review and overhaul of the system. So much waste and so little care...

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Its always the way: Pay more, receive same or less.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Sadly, I just don't see this getting fixed whichever side gets into the WH. I prefer Barack's plan over McCain's (Not hard) but I would much prefer to see a complete review and overhaul of the system. So much waste and so little care...

Yeah papering over the cracks doesn't seem to me like the kind of maverick leadership we've been told to expect.

McCain's plan is far more radical - but will be an absolute disaster if put into place. I remember hearing him talk at one of his town hall meetings a few months back about how "the problem with healthcare is that it costs too much".

Nothing he's suggested makes any change to the cost of healthcare at the point of service. Not one single thing. You'll still be subject to pre-existing condition clauses (sorry you were sick already - tough luck), you'll still be held to excessively high insurance deductibles, you'll still have your chronic care interfered with by medically ignorant bureaucrats and your prescription drugs will still cost you a small fortune.

[Peikko 1,575]

Sadly, I just don't see this getting fixed whichever side gets into the WH. I prefer Barack's plan over McCain's (Not hard) but I would much prefer to see a complete review and overhaul of the system. So much waste and so little care...

Yeah papering over the cracks doesn't seem to me like the kind of maverick leadership we've been told to expect.

McCain's plan is far more radical - but will be an absolute disaster if put into place. I remember hearing him talk at one of his town hall meetings a few months back about how "the problem with healthcare is that it costs too much".

Nothing he's suggested makes any change to the cost of healthcare at the point of service. Not one single thing. You'll still be subject to pre-existing condition clauses (sorry you were sick already - tough luck), you'll still be held to excessively high insurance deductibles, you'll still have your chronic care interfered with by medically ignorant bureaucrats and your prescription drugs will still cost you a small fortune.

How do politicians get away with this sort of rhetoric? *shakes head*

[IAMX 3,055]

Sadly, I just don't see this getting fixed whichever side gets into the WH. I prefer Barack's plan over McCain's (Not hard) but I would much prefer to see a complete review and overhaul of the system. So much waste and so little care...

Yeah papering over the cracks doesn't seem to me like the kind of maverick leadership we've been told to expect.

McCain's plan is far more radical - but will be an absolute disaster if put into place. I remember hearing him talk at one of his town hall meetings a few months back about how "the problem with healthcare is that it costs too much".

Nothing he's suggested makes any change to the cost of healthcare at the point of service. Not one single thing. You'll still be subject to pre-existing condition clauses (sorry you were sick already - tough luck), you'll still be held to excessively high insurance deductibles, you'll still have your chronic care interfered with by medically ignorant bureaucrats and your prescription drugs will still cost you a small fortune.

How do politicians get away with this sort of rhetoric? *shakes head*

Hey, it works in church.

[Peikko 1,575]

It shouldn't work their either. People should ask more questions not simply sit and absorb manipulative cliches.