“It’s the start of a new benefits year for most employers, and workers are only beginning to tap into their companies’ offering of 2012 healthcare coverage. However, they can expect to face rising healthcare costs and be asked to pay larger co-pays and deductibles than ever if recent years are any indication.
A September 2011 U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that from 2006 to 2010, the percentage of covered workers enrolled in high-deductible health plans increased from 4% to 13% and the percentage of covered workers with a deductible of $1,000 or more for single coverage nearly tripled, from 10% to 27%. Meanwhile, overall U.S. healthcare spending has increased by an average of nearly 7% per year, from $1.4 trillion in 2000 to $2.5 trillion in 2009, according to the GAO report.”
Article
Nicole Lewis, InformationWeek Healthcare, 24 January 2012
