ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Getting health care is getting more expensive.
A new report from the Minnesota Department of Health says average out-of-pocket expenses for those covered by private health insurance jumped almost 14 percent last year to $619.
Premiums climbed 8.4 percent, their biggest increase in three years.
As medical costs have climbed, employers have shifted more of the burden onto their employees.
Out-of-pocket costs accounted for 15 percent of the total last year, compared with 10 percent in 2000.
Meanwhile, the amount health plans spent on their members went up more slowly -- a 5.6 percent increase to about $4,100. The report says that suggests that premium growth could slow in the coming years.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
