Medical costs will grow at a slightly slower rate next year — but the growth will still outpace inflation and workers’ pay, according to a new report from the health wonks at PricewaterhouseCoopers. The medical cost trend — the measure insurers use to change premiums based on the cost and intensity of health care provided to each person — is projected to grow at 9% next year, down from 9.2% this year and 9.9% last year, the report says. The estimate is based on interviews with health-plan executives, surveys of employers and hospital-based health plans and analyst reports. Forty-two percent of the employers surveyed said they planned to increase employees’ share of health care costs.more.