Employer costs for health benefits rose more than 6% this year, or twice the rate of inflation, according to a new study from benefits consulting firm Merger LLC. It marked the second straight year with a 6.1% rise ($7,983 per employee). But the rate should moderate to around 5.7% in 2008, respondents indicated.

That’s largely because employers continue to push more of the costs onto workers, study authors wrote. Average in-network deductibles in Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs) jumped about 11% this year for firms with 500 or more workers, according to Mercer. Around 4 in 5 employers take advantage of health management programs to keep their costs down, the firm said.

Meanwhile, the percentage of smaller companies (those with fewer than 200 workers) that are offering healthcare coverage remains in a downward spiral. In 2007, the share was 61%, down from 63% a year earlier and 66% five years ago.

More on the study, including pricing terms, can be found at www.mercer.com.