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Article: Health insurance premiums up 87 percent since 2000
- Article from:
- Chicago Sun-Times
- Article date:
- September 27, 2006
CopyrightCopyright 2006 Chicago Sun-Times. (Hide copyright information)
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The good news: Health insurance premiums rose this year at their
slowest rate since 1999.
The bad news: Premiums rose 7.7 percent, twice the rate of
inflation.
"To working people and business owners, a reduction in an already
very high rate of increase just means you're still paying more," said
Dr. Drew Altman, president and chief executive officer of the Kaiser
Family Foundation, a health care research organization that annually
tracks the cost of health insurance.
Altman said the rising gap between premium growth and wages is
particularly startling when one takes a longer look back. Since 2000,
health insurance premiums have gone up 87 percent; wages 20 percent.
"Yes, the rate of ...