News For: health Care Insurance For TeenagersHealth insurance costs grow more gradually in 2008 WASHINGTON ��� Health insurance premiums rose a modest 5 percent this year for coverage that's getting skimpier, researchers say. Looking for Free or Low-cost Health Insurance? - It's no secret that accessing health care is a challenge for the 47 million Americans who are uninsured. Lack of health insurance forces many Americans to choose the health care they receive based on what they can afford, not what they actually need. Health-Care Costs for U.S. Employers Rise 5 Percent, Study Says Sept. 24 -- Employer-sponsored health insurance for a family cost an average of $12,680 this year, a 5 percent increase from 2007, a survey of U.S. businesses found. East Providence workers' new contract hikes health-care contributions EAST PROVIDENCE ��� The city���s clerks, janitors and other members of the local steel workers union entered into a multi-year contract recently that doesn���t raise their salaries this coming year, but increases their health insurance contributions. Health insurance costs grow more gradually in 2008 Health insurance premiums rose a modest 5 percent this year for coverage that's getting skimpier, researchers say. The 5 percent increase was comparable to last year's uptick. Overall, premiums for family coverage increased to $12,680 and premiums for single... As health-care premiums rise, workers at smaller firms feel pinch Premiums for job-based health insurance are up 5 percent in 2008 and have more than doubled since 1999, a growth rate that far outpaces inflation and the increase in workers' wages over the same period, according to an annual survey of employers. Meanwhile, a growing number of workers at smaller firms are getting less coverage for their money as health plans with high deductibles and fewer ... Study: Iowa's Health Care Costs Rose Higher than Wages Mason City, IA- A new study claims Iowa's health care costs are rising faster than its wages. Over the past eight years, Family USA has kept track of family health insurance premiums and what people make. The group found that premiums rose nearly four percent faster than earnings. Health Care Crisis Affecting Many For years Jack Hickey-Williams of Newtown had received health insurance through his employers. But when Hickey-Williams, who is in his early 60s, entered the arena of small business ownership, everything changed; he was forced to consider purchasing his insurance privately. English proposes new health-care plan U.S. Rep. Phil English is touting a new health-care plan that promises to be as portable as a 401k. The Healthy Americans Bill would allow most Americans to choose his or her own health plan instead of health insurance from an employer. AARP holds health care seminar Several groups in the medical field met in Syracuse Tuesday for a health care seminar sponsored by AARP. The seminar featured a forum discussion with doctors and nurses on how to ensure affordable health care for all Americans. |

