Health Care Costs Rising; Employers Pass Increases to Working People
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The Kaiser Family Foundation”s latest survey of health care costs shows half of workers at small firms with individual policies now face annual deductibles of $1,000 or more. In 2006, that figure was 16 percent. At large firms, the share has grown from 6 percent to 22 percent over the same five years.
As health care insurance costs continue to rise, Congress should look at ways to curb health care costs rather than leaving it to private employers who have never done a good job of that, says Drew Altman, president of the Kaiser Family Foundation. In fact, Congress has a good example of ways to lower costs right under its nose, Altman writes.
Health Insurance Premiums Soar as New Polls Show Americans Want Reform
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Recent polls show a majority of Americans want Congress to pass comprehensive health care reform now. And for good reason: There’s more news out this week about the enormous increases in health insurance premiums, according to a new report.
A survey from Economist/YouGov released this week shows 53 percent of respondents support changes proposed by the Obama administration. A second poll by Ipsos/McClutchey shows that 53 percent of Americans either support the current reform option or hope for an even stronger reform package. More than a third of those who oppose current reform proposals actually favor stronger reforms.
