Health Costs Slowed in 2013, But Expected to Rise Again in 2014

In "U.S. Health Benefit Cost Growth Slowed Again in 2013, But Employers Expect That Will Change in 2014", Mercer reports that:

"Slower cost growth continued in 2013 as employers took action in anticipation of new cost pressures that will arise over the next few years from health care reform provisions. According to the National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans, conducted annually by Mercer, growth in the average total health benefit cost per employee slowed from 4.1% in 2012 to just 2.1% in 2013...But employers expect that the rate of growth in the per-employee cost of coverage will rebound next year, to 5.2%. This increase reflects changes they will make to reduce cost; if they made no changes to the current plans, they estimate that cost would rise by an average of 8.0%."

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