Headline LIES! Costs up for employees....big time!-----Health care costs rise an average of 3% for midsize companies

Health care costs rise an average of 3% for midsize companies - Crain's Detroit Business:
"Despite ongoing concerns that the Affordable Care Act will lead to higher insurance costs, midsize employers this year are enjoying historically low health care cost increases, averaging 3 percent after making plan changes.
That is the lowest rate in more than 10 years and less than the national average of 4.6 percent, according to a new survey by Troy-based Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC.
The surveyed companies ranged from 100 to 10,000 employees.
To lower costs, employers are using high-deductible health insurance plans, wellness programs tied to incentives, telemedicine programs and aggressive prescription drug management, according to more than 450 employers that participated in Marsh & McLennan's 12th annual Southeast Michigan Mid-Market Group Benefits Survey.
Shifting costs to employees through higher deductibles, co-insurance and co-payments appears to have picked up this year, although not all companies increased cost shifting to employees, said Rebecca McLaughlan, vice president with Marsh & McLennan.
For example, monthly employee contributions to benefit plans for family PPO coverage increased as a percent of premium to 28 percent this year from 27 percent last year, and up to 26 percent from 23 percent for single PPO coverage, the survey found....
"HMO and prescription drug plans saw the greatest change," McLaughlan said.  For example, 68 percent of HMO plans now include a deductible, up from 59 percent in 2014."