More Works to Face Higher Healthcare Costs in '09

From the LATimes.com,

A growing number of workers in 2009 will pay more for health benefits -- and in some cases receive less coverage -- as their employers grapple with the financial fallout of rising medical expenses and diminished revenue and profits, recent surveys of human resource officials show.The Corporate Executive Board found in its survey that a quarter of officials from 350 large corporations said they had increased deductibles an average of 9% in 2008. But 30% of the employers said they expected to raise deductibles an average of 14% in 2009. Mercer, a global benefits consulting firm, surveyed nearly 2,000 large corporations in a representative poll and found that 44% planned to increase employee-paid portion of premiums in 2009, compared with 40% in 2008.

Three huge reasons why this is happening:

1. Employers are curbing their spending on coverage
2. More people are without health benefits
3. Most cannot afford COBRA


What others can you add to the list?

Report Finds People Living on Unemployment Benefits Can't Afford COBRA

ABC's Lisa Stark reported today that most unemployed individuals and families are unable to afford the COBRA coverage for health insurance. COBRA allows laid-off workers to continue with their employee-provided health insurance. Many times this health insurance is far too costly to continue as making housing and food payments come first in the family budget. According to the article, Families USA found that workers nationwide would have to spend an average of 30 percent of their unemployment check to pay for insurance coverage for an individual, and an astonishing 84 percent of their unemployment check for health insurance for a family.

What do you think can be done to reduce the cost of this coverage? Will Daschle's appointment foster in a new wave of health insurance reform? Share your thoughts.