Inflation is driving up the cost of everything right now, but health care is especially taking a hard hit.
Typically, inflation on health care is around 2 times higher than anything else.
Health care benefit experts find it's usually about 6%.
A recent study from HealthView Services projects health care inflation will stay at nearly 12% this year and next year.
It's expected to go back down after that.
But we could still see a long-term impact from this because experts say health care prices tend to keep going up, even at a slower rate.
“It shows up in your premium. That's to me why it can be so difficult for a consumer to deal with this is, that it not only affects your monthly costs in terms of your premium share,” said Paul Seegert, who works with health benefits consulting firm PCS Advisers.
“Let's say you're getting your coverage, so your employer you're going to see your payroll deductions increase and they have increased more quickly than wage gains for quite a few years,” said Seegert.
He said your plan may not cover as much as it used to.
“As a consumer, we have to learn to consume better. Even when you have an insurance plan, and you have a set deductible and a set copay for a certain procedure. Different providers may charge wildly different amounts for that procedure, and we do have to get better at consuming health care, like we do other things,” said Seegert.
He also recommends setting more money aside for health care now if you can, to prepare for what you're going to need during retirement.
The report finds you shouldn't expect the cost-of-living adjustments in Social Security and Medicare to keep up with the increase in health care costs.
