Higher health care bills ahead

The Chicago Tribune reports:

Workers can expect to pay hundreds of dollars more for their health care coverage next year.

In 2011, the combined average of premium and out-of-pocket costs for health care coverage for an employee is projected to climb to $4,386, according to an annual study by Hewitt Associates to be released this week. That's a 12.4 percent increase, or $486, over this year.

Companies, meanwhile, will see their health insurance costs go up nearly 9 percent, to an annual tab of $9,821 per employee, or double the employer's annual worker tab from nine years ago, according to Lincolnshire-based Hewitt.

"The practical reality is we are now getting to the point where the average employee is costing the average employer $10,000 a year for health care," said John Vlajkovic, principal in Hewitt's health management practice.

Great moments in ObamaCare!