Businesses in Northern Kentucky are following trends from around the country when it comes to employer-provided health insurance coverage. Members of the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce reported that they will start charging their employees more for health care as the costs for such insurance continue to rise. Human resources consulting firm Mercer found that health care costs in 2006 for business rose 6.1% which was a smaller increase than in previous years but is still causing hardships for companies.To keep costs down, more of the Northern Kentucky businesses are increasing deductibles and encouraging employees to participate in wellness programs. Many are also covering less of the bill for family health insurance. Some of the businesses, like others around the country, have decided to try health savings accounts as a possible cost-cutting approach to the issue.
Small businesses are often the ones who feel the increase in health insurance costs the most. Most of the participants in the Northern Kentucky survey either had fewer than 10 employees or between 50 and 200.
