You may pay more for health care than you think

By Anna Wilde Mathews Wall Street Journal What to watch for in choosing a health plan for 2009: Check for higher charges on services such as doctor visits and scans. Look for changes in drug coverage that could boost your costs. Make sure specific care or equipment you need is covered. Next year, you'll likely pay more for your workplace health benefits – but it may not be obvious from where the bite will come. As companies head into open-enrollment season, many say they are reluctant to boost health care premiums too sharply in these economic times. Instead, workers can expect to pay significantly more for out-of-pocket items. Employees' charges – deductibles, copayments and other fees – are expected to jump 10.1 percent from 2008, to an average of $1,880, according to a projection by benefits consultants Hewitt Associates.... [read full story]