Survey: Fewer Calif. Firms Offer Health Insurance to Workers

The proportion of California employers that offer health insurance to workers declined significantly in the previous decade, according to a new survey by the California HealthCare Foundation, the Sacramento Bee's "Capitol Alert" reports.

CHCF publishes California Healthline.

Main Findings

The survey found that the proportion of employers in the state offering health coverage to workers declined from 71% in 2002 to 60% in 2012 (Walters, "Capitol Alert," Sacramento Bee, 4/23).

According to the survey, the cost of health insurance has increased by nearly 170% since 2002, which is more than five times the 31.5% increase in the state's overall inflation rate (CHCF release, April 2013).

Other Findings

The survey found that the average premium for single-person health coverage was $545 per month in 2012, compared with the national average of $468. Meanwhile, the average premium for family coverage was $1,386 in California, compared with the national average of $1,312.

According to the survey, larger employers with high proportions of full-time workers were most likely to offer health coverage to employees. It also found that deductibles were more likely to be significantly higher among small employers than among large employers ("Capitol Alert," Sacramento Bee, 4/23).