Survey Sees Another Year of Increases for Insurance Premiums
Premiums and out-of-pocket expenses are expected to increase by 10% next year for those with employer-based health coverage, bringing the average combined annual cost of premiums and out-of-pocket costs to $4,023 per worker -- three times the cost in 2001, the Chicago Tribune reports.
The figures come from a newly released study from Hewitt Associates, which examined data from 325 major employers and more than 13 million health plan participants. The employers had an average of 16,000 workers.
Workers in 2010 will pay $174 a month for health premiums, 10% more than now, and $162 in out-of-pocket costs each month, also 10% more than now, the study found. Small-business employees likely will have even higher costs.
Companies' costs for health insurance will increase by 6% to $9,120 per worker -- a figure that has doubled since eight years ago (Japsen, Chicago Tribune, 9/28).
Hewitt's study was published just days after the White House released data indicating that health insurance premiums have increased by 90% to 150% in every state over the past 10 years, far outpacing the growth of wages and inflation (California Healthline, 9/22).
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