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.
The study by PriceWaterhouseCoopers predicts that medical costs will increase 9.9 percent in 2008 and an additional 9.6 percent in 2009.
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://www.nytimes.com/aponline/business/AP-Healthcare-Costs.html?_r=1&scp=26&sq=health&st=nyt&oref=sloginWho needs Socialist Universal Healthcare? Be happy with your profit bloated, administrative nightmare that is privatized health insurance.
