EMR Software Partly Responsible for Slowing Medical Cost Increases, Says Report

A new report predicts health care benefit expenses and average medical cost increases in 2008 will slow at least partly because more physicians will use health care information technology (IT) and electronic health records, Modern Healthcare reports.

According to the PricewaterhouseCoopers report, private insurers should anticipate an average increase in medical costs of 10 percent for most types of plans. Such increases are down about 2 percent from 2007.

In addition to wider use of EMR software systems, the authors attributed slowing cost increases to increased transparency and cost-sharing with employees, slowed spending growth on prescriptions, and total-health management approaches to benefits.