Employees and their families continue to pay higher out-of-pocket healthcare costs and shoulder more of the cost of their health insurance premiums, according to a report from The Commonwealth Fund.
The rise in employee responsibility for healthcare costs occurred despite the fact that insurance premiums grew at a slower pace in 30 states and Washington, D.C. from 2010 to 2013.
Here are six other significant findings from the report.
1. In most states, average health insurance plan deductibles more than doubled over the past 10 years for employees working in large and small firms.
2. Beginning this year, a boost in private insurance growth rates is anticipated Based on that expectation, the rising cost of medical care will need to be addressed to help secure slow cost growth for workers, families and employers.
3. Nationally, average annual premiums for employee-only coverage grew 4.1 percent from 2010 to 2013 compared to 5.1 percent from 2003 to 2010.
4. Premium growth rates remained high in the following states: Alaska, Colorado, Indiana, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wyoming. From 2010 to 2013, those states saw average growth rates of 6 percent per year or more.
5. From 2003 to 2013, workers' contributions to premiums per year nearly doubled nationally and are up as much as 175 percent. Over the same time period, per-person deductibles have more than doubled in all but six states and Washington, D.C.
6. By 2013, the total costs of employer-sponsored family premiums per year averaged just over $16,000. In Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Mississippi and Hawaii, the range was from $13,477 to $14,382, which was slightly below the national average. The range was $17,262 to $20,715 in New Jersey, Massachusetts, New York, Alaska and Washington, D.C.
Read the full report here. The interactive map is available here.
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