Premium increases would have been even higher in 2003--an estimated average 18%--if not for increased consumer cost-sharing through higher deductibles, copayments and coinsurance, the study said.
What is true for the United States and Europe also holds true for countries such as Mexico: Technological progress in the mobile telephony market has led to unprecedented access to information and services, reduction in consumercost and has lifted millions of people of people out of poverty, bridging the digital divide.
Consumer food cost inflation, relative to all other goods, has risen to twice its 2005-2007 rate of increase as well due to sharp increases in corn, soybean and wheat prices.