U.S. health plan sponsors are getting a grip on cost control. Outside the U.S. it's a very different story.
A study that sought information from medical insurers worldwide by Willis Towers Watson found that, overall, annual health care cost increases are the way of the world. Costs rose 7.5 percent globally in 2014, 8 percent last year, and are expected to rise more than 9 percent this year.
The recent increases in U.S. health care spending have averaged around 5 percent, according to earlier research by the consulting firm. While European nations have also managed to hold down increases to just over the 5 percent bar, other regions haven't been as successful.
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Dan Cook
Dan Cook is a journalist and communications consultant based in Portland, OR. During his journalism career he has been a reporter and editor for a variety of media companies, including American Lawyer Media, BusinessWeek, Newhouse Newspapers, Knight-Ridder, Time Inc., and Reuters. He specializes in health care and insurance related coverage for BenefitsPRO.
