Study: Health costs to rise nearly 10 percent

[Arger68]

NEW YORK - Employer health care costs are poised to rise almost 10 percent in 2008 — more than double the annual inflation rate — and nearly that much again in 2009, according to an industry report released Tuesday.

snip

The report identified two factors driving the increase:

_A hospital building boom, as hospitals replace facilities and add private rooms and centers for outpatient treatment.

_An increase in the expenses those with insurance are paying for those without. Cost-shifting from the uninsured, Medicare and Medicaid will account for nearly one in every five dollars spent by private insurers in 2009, according to the study, as the federal government underfunds public insurance programs and the number of people with private insurance continues to decrease.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080617/ap_on_bi_ge/healthcare_costs


So, health care costs are increasing almost 10% per year, partly because those with insurance are paying for those without - how long before NOBODY can afford insurance??

[angstlessk]

1. how much is ACTUAL health care costs going up compared to INSURANCE costs?

what % are hospitals increasing THEIR charges? how much are doctors increasing THEIR charges? on down the line. I bet it is way less than 10%.

[ramapo]

2. What else is new?

This has been the case for I don't know how many years

[China_cat]

3. According to our union it's more like 13% than 10%

and heading for 15% almost as fast as gas is heading for $6/gal.