Study: Workers to Pay more for Health Care

By: Associated Press Email

Updated: Thu 7:20 AM, Sep 04, 2008

NEW YORK (AP) - In a St. Joseph Health Scene report, get ready for another hike in co-pays and deductibles.

A survey being released Thursday by the Mercer consulting firm suggests nearly 60 percent of companies intend to keep down rising health care costs in 2009 by raising workers' deductibles, co-pays or out-of-pocket spending limits.

The study finds that on average, health care costs will go up by about 5.7 percent next year for both workers and their employers. That repeats this year's 5.7 percent hike and a 6.1 percent jump in 2007.

While the hike in health care costs is down from the double-digit growth in previous years, it's still moving at a faster clip than overall inflation or wages.

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