Interesting that given the heated debate about Health Care Reform, USA Today put this on Page 6A. What was on the first page???:
"Crashes Expose Oversight Failures" (about airlines crashes), and "In Mexico's drugwars, local police stepping up".
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/2009-09-15-insurance-costs_N.htm
By John Fritze, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — An average family health insurance policy now costs more than some compact cars, and four in 10 companies will likely pass more of that expense on to workers, according to a closely watched survey of businesses released Tuesday.
The average cost of a family policy offered by employers was $13,375 this year, up 5% from 2008, the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research & Educational Trust survey found. By comparison, wages rose 3% over that period, the study said.
The new numbers underscore warnings by President Obama about the growing cost of health insurance and were embraced by Democratic lawmakers who are pushing for legislation to change the nation's health care system. "The trends are crushing millions of businesses and American families," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said.
The annual survey of more than 2,000 companies also found that 40% of small-business employees enrolled in individual health plans pay annual deductibles of $1,000 or more. That's almost twice the number who paid that much in 2007.
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And the mindless marchers say they are afraid that health care REFORM is going to raise their Health Insurance costs. They will be lucky if they even have health insurance in ten years. Of if they can still get group coverage at work, they won't be able to afford it.