“Costs are expected to increase between 8 and 10 percent nationally, analysts say, pushing the health care tab to an all-time high,” reports today’s Arizona Republic.

“Next year, it will cost an average of $8,424 to cover the medical-insurance costs for a typical full-time employee, according to a survey by Towers Perrin, a professional-services firm. That’s up 140 percent from five years ago, and it sets a record, the firm reported.

“The pain is universal, felt by both employer and employee alike.

“U.S. workers are now paying $1,094 more for family health coverage than they were five years ago - a 68 percent increase, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Research and Educational Trust.”