Companies plan to increase cost of health care to employees

According to a survey by the Mercer consulting firm, 59 percent of U.S. companies intend to keep down rising health-care costs in 2009 by raising workers' deductibles, copays or out-of-pocket spending limits. The firm surveyed 3,000 large companies and about half responded, the Pacific Business News reported on Sept. 5.

On average, health care costs will rise an estimated 5.7 percent next year, about the same as in 2007, when they went up 6.1 percent. Health-care costs have grown about 6 percent per year since 2005, according to Mercer, down from the double-digit growth of previous years, but fast than inflation or workers' wages.

The study also found the average deductible for an individual grew from $250 to $400 between 2003 and 2007. For families, it went from $1,000 to $1,500. Once workers have spent the deductible amount, they begin to share costs with employers, Companies cover an average of 80 percent.

47 percent of companies told Mercer they are encouraging enrollment in plans with lower premiums and higher deductibles, while 19 percent said they would start to offer  consumer-directed health plans, which have high-deductible and employee-controlled spending accounts. This is an increase from 12 percent of all employers who said last year they were "very likely" to implement such a plan by 2009.