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40% of Employers to Hike Health Plan Costs Next Year

Another 8% to drop coverage entirely, survey reveals

By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff

Posted Sep 16, 2009 9:07 AM CDT
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(Newser) – Many Americans are happy with their employer-sponsored health care plans and eager to keep them, but they won't be keeping them at the current price, the Washington Post reports. In a survey released yesterday, some 40% of employers said they expect to increase the amount their employees paid for health care next year—raising premiums, deductibles, and the cost of prescription drugs. Some 9% said they expect to tighten eligibility for benefits. Another 8% intend to drop coverage entirely.

The report, which comes from the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research and Educational Trust, concludes that federal action is necessary to bring costs under control. The Business Roundtable piled on, declaring yesterday that given current trends, employer health costs will rise 166% over the next decade, to $28,530 per employee. “Maintaining the status quo is simply not an option,” said Roundtable leader and Kodak CEO Antonio Perez.

Your health benefits might become more expensive soon.
Your health benefits might become more expensive soon.   (Shutterstock)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 18 comments
Guest
Sep 22, 2009 9:56 PM CDT
They want a different solution but in the meantime their only 'solution' is to give the insurance companies more money, presumably for their poor executives.
freethemall
Sep 18, 2009 3:00 AM CDT
Nothing more to say from anyone?? I guess once the great FTM speaks, there is no more to be said. But the site must have malfunctioned. It didn't register all of the thumbs ups that I surely must have gotten for such an insightful comment.
freethemall
Sep 17, 2009 2:35 AM CDT
We wouldn't have our tit in the wringer (figuratively speaking), when it comes to the rising cost of health care, and all the problems associated with it, had we passed Hillary care in the 90's. If some some sort of Obama care is enacted, it may not be enough to make any real difference, unless it actually does lead to a takeover of medicine by the government, as some fear, but as I would hope.

 
health care costs • health insurance • Kodak • Business Roundtable • employers • health insurance premiums • health care reform • survey

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