Speaking at a Health Reform Summit in Washington DC, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernake shared some of his thoughts on healthcare costs and his prognosis was quite gloomy. The National Coalition on Health Care estimates that by the year 2016 spending on healthcare will consume 20% of the nations’ gross domestic product -- approximately $4.2 trillion.

According to Chairman Bernake, “Per capita health care spending in the United States has increased at a faster rate that per capita income for a number of decades.”

So what does it all mean? Well, if you're a healthcare worker and have a family of four, it means that you spent nearly $3,300 per year for healthcare coverage in 2007.  That's 10% more than you spent in 2006, according to the National Coalition on Health Care.
 
With out of pocket healthcare costs going up 10% in one year, how are families supposed to get ahead?

Sources:

1) http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-06-17-voa39.cfm <http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-06-17-voa39.cfm
2) http://www.nchc.org/facts/cost.shtml

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