Employers may be seeing some small relief on their health carepremiums as rates have not increased as substantially as they havein the past, according to a survey from Aon Consulting.

Aon Consulting, a subsidiary of Chicago-based insurance brokerAon Corp., said from a survey of 70 major health care insurersrepresenting more than 100 million insured individuals, it projectsthat health care costs over the next 12 months will increase anaverage of 10.6 percent. This is slightly less than the 11 percentincrease projected last year.

By medical plans, Health Management Organizations are expectedto rise 10.6 percent this year, compared to a 10.9 percent increasein the spring of last year. Point of Service plans are expected torise 10.5 percent compared to 10.8 percent last year. PreferredProvider Organizations are expected to see a 10.7 percent increase,a 0.5 point decrease over year's 11.2 percent. Consumer-drivenhealth care plans dropped from 10.7 percent last year to 10.5percent.

Bill Sharon, senior vice president with Aon Consulting anddirector of the study, observed that the decreases in medical trendrates could be attributed to more employers and employees takingadvantage of wellness, health promotion and consumer-drivenprograms.

"But more must be done to truly stem the tide of rising healthcare costs. This includes greater senior management support forthese programs, better employee communications and more consistentcooperation from the medical community," he said in astatement.

Aon Consulting's U.S. health and benefits practice director,John Zern, said of the results: "While the medical trend rate isstill more than twice the consumer price index, it is encouragingto see that health care cost rate increases are continuing to slowdown. This is a step in the right direction for companiesnationwide that continue to feel significant health care pricepressures."