A report by the Hay Group, outlining the results from its annual Health Benefits Prevalence Report, estimates that employer-sponsored health care premiums will increase an average of 9 percent in 2010 excluding the effects of changes to plan design, medical management, or plan administration.  The projections are based on 30 years of trends in employer-sponsored coverage and data from the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), which Hay says is a leading indicator for other employer-sponsored plans.  The report notes that though the annual premium increase in 2009 was the lowest since 2000, FEHBP data indicates the decline may have bottomed out.

Full Report:  Trends in Health Premiums: From the Hay Benefits Prevalence Report and the FEHB Program (PDF | 319.15 KB)

The Hay Group. (2010). Trends in health premiums: from the Hay Benefits Prevalence Report and the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program 1981 through 2010.