Health insurance costs to climb in 2008

Fri, 08 Feb 2008

According to an international poll into global insurance companies, the cost of private medical insurance for employers is set to increase by around 8 per cent this year.

The glean the conclusion, the researchers surveyed 85 global insurance companies, finding that some seven out of every ten were expecting higher-significantly higher medical costs in the next five year period.

The reasons for the increasing cost of medical care were many. They included expensive medical technology, higher usage of medication, an older population and new treatments.

The consulting firm that conducted the survey, Watson Wyatt, said that medical plans were likely to be reviewed, perhaps affecting health insurance policies .

A senior consultant at the firm, Elliot Hurst, reportedly commented: "Some employers may decide to move the focus of their medical benefits away from timely access to treatment, private rooms and a choice over hospitals and specialists, towards providing employee access to drug therapies and other treatments that the NHS will not, for cost reasons, be prepared to offer."
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