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US Employees Face 'Shockingly Higher' Health Costs - Enrollment Time!

Health & Wellness (tags: US, Healthcare, healthcare insurance, healthcare reform, high costs, insurance, illness, employers, employees, heathcare benefits, heath, insruance, healthcare enrollment time )

Summer Lu
- 1312 days ago - money.cnn.com:80

As employees nationwide peruse their benefit options, experts say prepare for 'shockingly' higher costs. Starting in 2010, your employer is making sure that when it comes to paying for your health care, you're going to be sharing much more of the burden

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Summer Luvin Kat (293)

Monday October 19, 2009, 2:43 pm
"We recognize that this is a hard economy," said Cheryl Fish-Parcham, deputy director of health policy with Families USA, a health care consumer advocacy group.

"We know that medical debt is growing. We know that [employer-based] coverage is thinning," said Fish-Parcham. "This is a really difficult environment for everyone. That's why we're all looking forward to health reform."

So how are employers tweaking health care benefits options in 2010? Here's the rundown:

1. Higher out-of-pocket costs.
2. Co-pay to co-insurance.
3. Fewer options.
4. Consumer-directed health plans.
5. Closer scrutiny of dependent coverage.
6. Incentives to stay healthy.

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Phil Heinlein (467)

Tuesday October 20, 2009, 4:26 am
This might just give people a reason to support health care reform. A timely reminder that the status quo isn't acceptable anymore.

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