What's up in HEALTH CARE.

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Another year, another hike in medical costs. Benefits consulting firm Hewitt Associates says that employees will pay an average of $3,100 in 2006, including insurance premiums and out-of-pocket medical bills, up 12% from 2005.

Increasingly, employers will also make patients more aware of their actual spending. So instead of a flat $10 to $25 co-payment, you can expect to meet an annual deductible and then cover a percentage, typically 20%, of the total cost of care. That's the way prescription drugs are headed, too. You'll find more "consumer-directed" " insurance plans, which couple a low-premium, high-deductible policy medical with a tax-free medical savings account. One in every three or four large employers could offer this type of plan in the next few years.

More employers wilt provide online tools to help you track claims or see the impact of contributing to a flexible spending account, says Watson Wyatt Worldwide, another benefits consulting firm.

You'll see clearly what your medical plan actually costs.