Spent a little time perusing the morning headlines while killing time at the Jeep dealership, and from what I can tell, there's good news and there's bad news.
The bad news is health care costs are estimated to jump 10.6 percent heading into next year.
The good news is health care costs are predicted to climb only 10.6 percent heading into next year.
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Sounds a little kooky, huh? Well, it seems that the increase in health care costs still manages to outpace inflation by a two-to-one margin. Although, given the credit market collapse and the runaway energy train, that might not last long.
And yet, that 10 percent tick also represents the smallest jump in something like six years. The consultants — who always seem to talk more than they actually do — say that it means those wellness and disease management programs are catching on, reducing costs.
Better yet, those same sage consultants are quick to add that the actual employer-employee costs will hover three or four points lower, inciting further cause for celebration.
Although, I have to admit, it feels an awful lot like celebrating yesterday's $50 trip to the gas pump because last week that pimply teenager behind the counter took three twenties from me.
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