Premiums are expected to take their biggest jump in a decade. Major employers report that health-care costs are rising at least 10 percent to 13 percent, and workers are likely to see a similar increase passed along to them, according to a new study. The increases are only now being seen by employees as they enter the peak of open enrollment, the time of year companies allow workers to change their health insurance. Hewitt's study of 320 companies with 1,000 employees or more comes from a database of 3.5 million employees and their dependents.
Analysts attribute much of the cost increase to rising demand for prescription drugs.
No matter what health plan a company provides, employees are not likely to escape higher rates. Yet one thing that may help protect employees' pocketbooks is a tight job market.