Thursday, September 29, 2011
With workers’ wages flat-lining, the economic struggle for Americans and business owners in 2011 has been exacerbated by soaring health insurance premiums.
So far in 2011 the average cost of a family health plan has gone up 9% over last year, while wages went up only 2%. Health care costs for employers have gone up almost 7% in 2011. In 2010, the average premium rose only 3%.
Premiums for family plans have reached $15,073 on average, almost double what they were in 2001. Coverage for single employees jumped 8% this year, to $5,429.
According to a survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research & Educational Trust, workers paid an average of $921 toward the premium of single coverage and $4,129 for family plans.
-Noel Brinkerhoff, David Wallechinsky
Costs of Employer Insurance Plans Surge in 2011 (by Julie Appleby, Kaiser Health News)
Health Insurance Costs Rising Sharply This Year, Study Shows (by Reed Ableson, New York Times)
Employer Health Benefits 2011 Annual Survey (Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Research & Educational Trust) (pdf)
Americans Buying Own Health Insurance See Premiums Jump 20% (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)
Health Reform: A Beginner’s Guide (by David Wallechinsky, AllGov)
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