US Health Costs to Rise 5.7% in '09

Get ready for another increase in co-pays and deductibles. A survey being released today found that 59% of employers intend to keep down rising health care costs by sharing them with workers. Costs will go up by an average 5.7% for both parties next year, rising faster than inflation or wages.

Between 2003 and 2007, the average deductible for an individual grew from $250 to $400. Health plans are offering cost-cutting choices such as disease management plans and incentives for greater use of prescription drugs, “but there's certainly still more work to be done," a health insurance spokesman says.