A new healthcare survey points to another double digit increase in health care costs. A report by Aon Consulting shows insurers expect health care cost to increase an average of 10.6 percent in 2009.
The Chicago-based human resources consulting firm surveyed more than 70 leading health care insurers who represent more than 100 million insured individuals. The responses reflect the expected future increases to employer-provided health plans claims before any plan changes, based on the opinions of health plan actuaries.
Aon said the growth trend represents the lowest rate increase since it began doing the survey in 2001. But if past trends are any indication, more small firms will stop offering health care coverage and those employers who continue to sponsor health insurance coverage for their employees may shift a larger portion of the increase onto their employees through higher premiums, co-pays, and deductibles. The upshot will be more self-pay medical accounts and almost certainly, more medical bad debt.
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