Americans struggling to make ends meet, including those who have seen their out-of-pocket costs for health care rise might see some relief from having their costs rise more because of inflation. During a hearing before Congress Thursday morning, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said he was willing to act to stimulate the economy to stave off inflation and that helping the poorest Americans was the quickest way to do so.
That potentially good news could help ease the drain on the wallets of Americans who have faced rising out-of-pocket expenses since 2001 that have been worsened by rising unemployment and a credit crunch that has been fueled in part by the slumping housing market.
