Health Affairs Web First: Employer-Sponsored Family Health Premium 2016 Costs

Annual family premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance rose an average of 3 percent to $18,412 this year, a modest increase at a time when workers’ wages (2.5 percent) and inflation (1.1 percent) also grew modestly, according to the benchmark Kaiser Family Foundation/Health Research & Educational Trust (HRET) 2016 Employer Health Benefits Survey released today. Workers on average contribute $5,277 annually toward their family premiums. The 18th annual Kaiser/HRET survey of more than 1,900 small and large employers provides a detailed picture of the status and trends in employer-sponsored health insurance, costs, and coverage. In addition to the full report and summary of findings released today, Health Affairs is publishing a Web First with select findings, and the Foundation is releasing an updated interactive graphic that charts the survey’s premium trends for different groups, including by firm size, region, and industry. This year’s low family premium increase is similar to last year’s (4 percent) and reflects a significant slowdown over the past 15 years. Since 2011, average family premiums have increased 20 percent, more slowly than the previous five years (31 percent increase from 2006 and 2011) and more slowly than the five years before that (63 percent from 2001 to 2006). “We’re seeing premiums rising at historically slow rates, which helps workers and employers alike, but it’s made possible in part by the more rapid rise in the deduct...
Source: Health Affairs Blog - Category: Health Management Authors: Tags: Elsewhere@ Health Affairs Employer Health Benefits Survey webfirst Source Type: blogs