News For: Pacific Mutual health InsuranceHealth insurance costs grow 5% in '08 Health insurance premiums rose a modest 5% this year for coverage that's getting skimpier, researchers say. Health insurance premiums jump 5 pct this year U.S. health insurance premiums rose 5 percent on average this year and more companies shifted an additional share of the cost to workers, an annual survey of businesses said on Wednesday. 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 coverage increased to $4,704, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research and Educational Trust. Health insurance premiums outpace wages Premiums for employer-based health insurance in North Carolina rose 5.3 times faster than wages over the past eight years, according to a report released Wednesday. S.C. figures were slightly worse ��� insurance premiums there rose 5.7 times faster than median family earnings from 2000 to 2007. The Carolinas followed a nationwide trend, according to the report by Families USA, a Washington-based ... 2009 health-insurance forecast: less coverage, more cost Most workers will see “skimpier and less comprehensive” employer-based health insurance coverage next year, according to an outlook released today. 2009 health-insurance forecast: Less coverage, more cost Most workers will see "skimpier and less comprehensive" employer-based health insurance coverage next year, according to an outlook released today. Survey: Workers facing higher health insurance premiums, deductibles Health insurance premiums rose modestly this year but more workers are facing higher deductibles, according a Kaiser Family Foundation survey released Wednesday. Health insurance costs grow more gradually in 2008 Wed, Sep 24, 2008 7:21 a.m. 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. The number: 63#x25 Government-guaranteed health insurance Nearly two-thirds of Americans 63% favor a government guarantee of universal health insurance, even if it means raising taxes; 34% are opposed. Democrats continue to be the most supportive of government-guaranteed health insurance ��� 79% of Democrats, including 85% of liberal Democrats, favor it. Workers pay more for less health care coverage WASHINGTON ��� 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. |

