Employers to shift healthcare cost increases to...

In theÂ New York Times's (9/14, BU2, Korkki) The Count column, Phyllis Korkki wrote that, although "healthcare cost increases are expected to ease slightly for employers in 2009," medical costs are not "beginning to stabilize. Rather, it means that businesses are moving aggressively to shift the burden to their employees." According to a survey by Mercer, a consulting firm, employers' health benefit costs are expected "to rise 5.7 percent in 2009." For those who are covered by their company's health plan, the cost increases will result in "higher deductibles, as well as higher co-payments, higher premiums or both."Â

Comments: 9

Dusty Hubbard Sep 15, 2008, 11:12am UTC

I work for a small company and I know what a burden it is for them to keep paying such high premiums for the employees. On the other hand, for the employees it is getting harder and harder to make ends meet. It is a sad situation.

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جيرسي جو Sep 15, 2008, 12:26pm UTC

All the more reason we need to move to a single-payer based national healthcare.

This will cause many full-time employed people to drop health insurance, adding to the 47 million already uninsured.

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Maurice K. Sep 15, 2008, 12:45pm UTC

And yet so many Americans aggressively assert that health care is not a right. Wait until they get sick and need it; then I'd like to hear them talk.

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Deb S. Sep 15, 2008, 12:47pm UTC

Unfortunately people only tend to "see the light" when an issue becomes personal.

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Larry M. Sep 15, 2008, 2:07pm UTC

We have the resources to provide good health care to everyone in the United States. But the money keeps getting in the way. But then, that's the nature of our money. We waste 25% of our productivity just servicing money. We waste a good percent more of our medical personnel in paperwork having to do with money.

See Invisible Hand for a better way.

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Dan H. Sep 15, 2008, 4:44pm UTC

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Nurse Nancy S. Sep 16, 2008, 6:36am UTC

Stay Healthy!!!

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Nurse Nancy S. Sep 16, 2008, 6:36am UTC

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Gina M. Sep 19, 2008, 11:10pm UTC

We just had open enrollment and costs went up all around - employee contributions, deductibles, copays, out of pocket expenses - basically, all the plans increased costs. I'm not surprised by any of this. This is nothing new - I think this shift has been happening for about a good 15 years now.

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Employers to shift healthcare cost increases to workers in 2009.

Comments: 9

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