(by Peter Van Bruggen)

Mercer Human Resource Consulting research showed expectations for group health care plan cost increases to add 9.6% as soon as next year.

The expectations modulate the smallest since 2000 increase as compared with last year’s 10.1%. “We’re going to see some considerable cost-shifting to employees next year, especially among smaller employers,” said consultant in Mercer’s Minneapolis office Blaine Bos.

The expectations quite differ in figures as larger employers with minimum of 20,000 employees anticipate health plan cost increases to around 9.5% next year, while the smaller ones – up to an average of 10.4%.

There are several reasons for the slowdown in health care plan cost increases, Mercer states. They mostly are: employers to shift more costs to employees, e.g. by raising deductibles; to add cost-control programs, e.g. disease management plans; to dropping their most expensive health care plans etc.