[Hoot Gibson]

Has anybody else's health costs skyrocketed? I currently have great coverage but on October 1, my plan changes to a high deductible, high out-of-pocket cost plan. Just as most of us intuitively expected, employees will be paying through the nose for Obamacare. But, hey, my premiums are going down slightly for the lousy coverage that I will receive.

[INDENT]

Higher health care bills ahead
Cost of medical benefits projected to jump next year, with premiums and out-of-pocket expenses rising more than 12

Workers can expect to pay hundreds of dollars more for their health care coverage next year.

In 2011, the combined average of premium and out-of-pocket costs for health care coverage for an employee is projected to climb to $4,386, according to an annual study by Hewitt Associates to be released this week. That's a 12.4 percent increase, or $486, over this year.

Companies, meanwhile, will see their health insurance costs go up nearly 9 percent, to an annual tab of $9,821 per employee, or double the employer's annual worker tab from nine years ago, according to Lincolnshire-based Hewitt.

[/INDENT]