Employer-Sponsored Health Plan Costs Expected To Increase 8.7% In 2008, According To Study

Employers can expect to see your carrier to be encouraging the use of Care Managers to keep the cost down soon. I wrote about this in a prior post. BD

Employer-sponsored health insurance premiums increased by more than twice the rate of inflation in 2007, and costs are expected to continue to rise next year, with employees shouldering more of the costs, according to a study released Monday by Hewitt Associates, Dow Jones reports. The study was based on survey data that included 1,800 health plans, including 400 large employers, and more than 18 million plan enrollees. According to the study, the cost of providing employee health benefits increased by an average of 5.3% in 2007 -- the smallest rate of increase in nine years -- down from 7.9% in 2006. Hewitt estimates that costs will increase by 8.7% in 2008. The report projects that the average annual premium cost per employee will be $8,676 next year, up from $7,982 in 2007. Employees' out-of-pocket contributions to premiums next year are expected to rise to $1,859, or 21.4% of total premiums, compared with $1,690, or 21.2%, this year.