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December 2, 2004 09:54 AM

Health Costs Up 7.5%


Excerpt: Private-sector spending on health care climbed 7.5 percent in the first half of 2004, which matched the 2003 growth rate but still significantly outpaced growth in the overall economy, according to a study by the Center for Studying Health System Change and the Employee Benefit Research Institute.


Health insurance may be out of reach for more Americans as medical costs rose faster than worker income in the first half of the year, according to a closely watched survey released Thursday.

Private-sector spending on health care climbed 7.5 percent in the first half of 2004, which matched the 2003 growth rate but still significantly outpaced growth in the overall economy, according to a study by the Center for Studying Health System Change and the Employee Benefit Research Institute.

History shows that when medical costs -- prescription drugs, hospital stays and doctor visits -- grow substantially more rapidly than incomes, the number of uninsured rises.

So the rolls of the 44 million people with no health insurance in the United States is likely to grow, said Paul Ginsburg, president of the Center and a study author.

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Read all 21 posts in the same category of Spending:

Cell Phone Calls In Flight? - Dec 09, 2004
Holiday Tipping - Dec 09, 2004
Tunes Coming To Callers? - Dec 08, 2004
Electronic Ways to Pay Eclipse Checks in Number - Dec 07, 2004
The Trouble With Rebates - Dec 07, 2004
Customers Tire of Excuses for Rebates That Never Arrive - Dec 07, 2004
'Phishing' Attacks Surge In 2004 - Dec 06, 2004
Bush Signs Internet Tax, Special Ed Bills - Dec 05, 2004
The Wide World Of Online Shopping - Dec 04, 2004
Shopbots: Your Own Automated Shopping Assistant On The Web - Dec 04, 2004
Traveler: Know Your Options - Dec 04, 2004
Worried Merchants Throw Discounts at Shoppers - Dec 04, 2004
Regifting 101 - Dec 02, 2004
5 Popular Holiday Shopping Scams - Nov 30, 2004
Slick Tips for Holiday Shopping - Nov 28, 2004
Give Gifts That Give Back - Nov 28, 2004
Tips For Stretching Your Holiday Budget - Nov 26, 2004
Meet The Bargain Hunters: Three Everyday Experts Share Their Tips - Nov 26, 2004
Smart Holiday Shopping - Nov 25, 2004
Some Shoppers Find Fewer Happy Returns - Nov 07, 2004