The next 12-months are expected to see a 10.5% rise in employer-provided health plan costs, impacting workers paychecks and changing their insurance coverage.

An Aon Consulting report released Tuesday puts down the higher costs to an aging population, rising costs and growing patient demand for services.

A subsidiary of Chicago-based Aon Corp., Aon Consulting surveyed over 60-health insurers country-wide, finding on average, insurers expect to pay 10.5% more in claims costs next year, a little less than last year's forecasted 10.6%

However, the premium increases do not necessarily imply the same increase in employee pay cheques, as actual increases pertaining to each insurer or plan can vary because of factors like plan design, geography or the general health of people covered.

Tom Lerche, Aon Consulting's health care practice leader says, some employers may tale on the higher costs, as their employees this year had to contend with salary freezes, reductions and layoffs, and it may be too much to pass along the costs to them, on top of everything.

Others may ask their workers to pay more through increased deductibles, or make changes to the plans offered e. g. eliminating a traditional plan in lieu of a consumer- directed, high-deductible plan.

In addition, the Aon survey also found costs of prescription drug costs are expected to rise 9.3%, compared to the 9.4% trend forecast last year.

With a number of brand-name drugs losing their patent protection, Lerche says more of less-expensive generics will be on offer, with employers also encouraging their workers to go for generic drugs and cost-management programmes.

The impact of the health care overhaul, currently being debated in Washington, D. C., won't be felt for a couple years and will not affect workers next year.

Aon surveys are conducted twice yearly to give clients a sense of cost increases they may face, as they consider benefit plan renewals.