A new study confirms what anyone who has been to the doctor recently already knew -- health care is expensive, and it's only getting more so.
In Dallas, health costs for an average family of four has risen 10 percent in a year, but don't worry, it's just consistent with the national average.
Health care costs have been rising an average of 8.4 percent annually since 2004. The study estimates that the total cost for a family of four with an average household income of $50,000 often exceeds 8 percent of total income.
The study also notes that employers are making changes to their benefit plans according, but that they are making other more dramatic cost-saving changes elsewhere, such as through salary reductions and layoffs.
Dallas ranked 10th in the 2009 Milliman Medical Indices for 14 major metropolitan areas. Only four cities had health care costs increasing slower than the national average: Denver, Atlanta, Seattle and Phoenix. And at least we're not Miami, whose health care costs are 20 percent higher than the national average.
Holly LaFon has written and worked for various local publications including D Magazine and Examiner.
