Mercer pointed out that while the rate of increase is smaller compared to double-digit growth the past years prior to 2005, it is accelerating faster than inflation rate or salary adjustments.
In view of the higher cost, 59 percent of companies plan to control the rise in health care in 2009 by increasing employee health insurance policy premium share or placing a cap on out-of-pocket reimbursements.
Employee health policy contribution via deductions had risen from an average of $250 in 2003 to $400 in 2007 for an individual, and from $1,000 to $1,500 for a family.
Blaine Bos, senior Mercer health and benefits consultant and author of the study, wrote, "While some employers are holding down cost growth with innovative methods of improving health care quality and efficiency, more typically employers struggling with increases they can't handle resort to the tried and true method of shifting cost to employees."
