The National Business Group on Health has released the results of its annual survey, which includes 83 of the largest American companies, Health Care Payer News reports:
According to the survey, employers anticipate an average increase of 7.2 percent for their health benefit costs next year. While this is slightly lower than this year's 7.4 percent increase the rate of growth is still more than double the rate of inflation and outpaces the rate of overall economic growth....
To help control healthcare benefits cost increases and begin lowering costs to avoid the "Cadillac" tax, employers are planning to use a wider variety of cost-sharing strategies. More than half of respondents – 53 percent – plan to increase the percentage that employees contribute to the premiums, while 39 percent plan to increase in-network deductibles.