Costs for the most popular types of healthcare coverage are projected to increase at double-digit rates for 2010, according to a survey of insurers and administrators by Buck Consultants, an ACS company.
In its 21st National Health Care Trend survey, Buck Consultants measured the projected average annual increase in employer-provided health care benefit costs. The study analyzed responses from over 100 health insurers and HMOs. Insurers providing medical trends for the survey cover a total of approximately 78 million people.
Health insurers reported an average prescription drug trend of 10.9 percent, up 0.1 percent from the 10.8 percent reported in the prior survey. For plans that supplement Medicare, health insurers reported a projected increase of 5.8 percent excluding prescription drug coverage, down from 7.4 percent in the prior survey. This lower trend reflects the impact of federal controls on Medicare fees and the lower increases expected in Medicare deductibles and copays.
"Health insurers are concerned about higher costs due to federal mental health parity, as well as an increase in COBRA enrollment," says Harvey Sobel, FSA, a Buck principal and consulting actuary who directed the survey. "There is also uncertainty due to health care reform and its impact on all sectors of the health care industry."
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