2018 Employer Health Costs
2018 employer health costs grew 5% to an average premium of nearly $20,000 for a family. Meanwhile, employees continue to pay more for their part of the health insurance premium while enduring higher deductibles.
That Americans and their employers pay more and get less has been going on for decades. Literally. The situation will not improve until we transform from a “sick care” model that prospers from an epidemic of chronic illnesses to a true “healthcare” system that promotes (and pays for) prevention, embraces consumer innovations, and opens an arsenal to combat social determinants of health.
Annual family premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance rose 5 percent to average $19,616 this year, extending a seven-year run of moderate increases, finds the 2018 benchmark KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey released today. On average, workers this year are contributing $5,547 toward the cost of family coverage, with employers paying the rest.
Annual premiums for single coverage increased 3 percent to $6,896 this year, with worker contributions averaging $1,186.
This year’s premium increases are comparable to the rise in workers’ wages (2.6%) and inflation (2.5%) during the same period. Over time, the increases continue to outpace wages and inflation. Since 2008, average family premiums have increased 55 percent, twice as fast as workers’ earnings (26%) and three times as fast as inflation (17%).
This year’s survey also finds the burden of deductibles on workers continuing to climb over time in two ways: a growing share of covered workers face a general annual deductible, and the average deductible is rising for those who face one.
To read the entire article please see: www.healthaffairs.org
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