For those who want to see a particular doctor, or rarely see doctors at all, PPOs have become the most popular option. For 2001, average health care costs are projected to rise 13 percent nationwide, the third consecutive year of sharply rising prices, says Hewitt Associates, a human resources consulting firm. Today, managed care is the choice for more than 80 percent of workers at large companies. Despite the public criticism of HMOs, Laugharn says that most members are sticking with the programs, although they often switch from one HMO to another. Increasingly, that's becoming the norm.
Some employees are more fortunate.
Southwest Airlines and Nokia say they're not increasing any employee contributions next year. Aside from price, employers are adding new benefits or making other improvements that will be valuable to many workers. The cap was adopted because workers are now paying more for prescriptions. When you have to take medication, you can't really shop around and find the best deal. We're trying to limit the financial hit.