Health Highlights: Aug. 21, 2013

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

Health Insurance Premiums Rose 4 to 5 Percent in 2012

For the second year in a row, there were modest increases in premiums for employer-provided health insurance, a new survey finds.

The findings suggest that once-extreme health care inflation may be slowing, The New York Times reported.

The Kaiser Family Foundation survey found that the average annual premium for a family is now $16,351, up 4 percent from last year. Of that amount, workers paid an average of $4,565.

Annual individual premiums for workers rose nearly 5 percent, from $5,884 in 2011 to $5,615 in 2012. The average employee's contribution is $999, The Times reported.

The modest 4 percent increase in family premiums is still much higher than the 1.8 average increase in wages last year, the foundation noted.

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