HEALTH CARE BLOGGING. It's not as bad as you've been told. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that health care costs rose 7.5 percent in 2004. This is a big impovement over 2002, when costs rose 11.4.

The Bureau also reports that growth in costs for employers for health insurance has slowed. The cost per employee per hour worked is the unit of measurement. From March 2001 to March 2002, it rose 11 percent. From March 2002 to March 2004, it rose 9 percent per year. From March 2004 to December 2004, it rose 3 percent.