Workplace family monthly health premiums rise to $1,512; deductibles up 12% in 2016

By Claire Thayer, September 15, 2016

In 2016, employer-sponsored health insurance covered half of the non-elderly population.  For the 18th year in a row,  the Kaiser Family Foundation & Health Research & Educational Trust (HRET) published findings from its annual survey of employers reflecting trends of employer sponsored health benefits on premiums, employee cost-sharing, wellness programs and employer opinions in the 2016 Employer Health Benefits Survey.  Here are a few highlights:

• The average premium for single coverage in 2016 is $536 per month, or $6,435 per year.
• The average premium for family coverage is $1,512 per month or $18,142 per year
• The $18,142 average family premium in 2016 is 20% higher than the average family premium in 2011 and 58% higher than the average family premium in 2006
• Among those with a general annual deductible for family coverage, the percentages of covered workers with an average aggregate general annual deductible are 61% for workers in HMOs, 64% for workers in PPOs, and 77% for workers in POS plans
• The share of covered workers in plans with a general annual deductible has increased significantly over time: from 55% in 2006, to 74% in 2011, to 83% in 2016, as have the average deductible amounts for covered workers in plans with deductibles: from $584 in 2006, to $991 in 2011, to $1,478 in 2016
• Eighty-three percent of firms offering health benefits in 2016 offer only one type of health plan. Large firms are more likely to offer more than one plan type than small firms (53% vs. 16%)
• Enrollment remains highest in PPO plans, covering just under half of covered workers, followed by HDHP/SOs, HMO plans, POS plans, and conventional plans.
• Forty-eight percent of covered workers are enrolled in PPOs, followed by HDHP/SOs (29%), HMOs (15%), POS plans (9%), and conventional plans (< 1%)
• Nearly all (more than 99%) covered workers work at a firm that provides prescription drug coverage in their largest health plan.
• Sixty-one percent of covered workers are in a self-funded health plan.
• Twenty-four percent of large firms (200 or more workers) that offer health benefits to their employees offer retiree coverage in 2016, similar to recent years.
• Among large firms that have a health risk assessment, 54% offer an incentive to employees to complete the assessment

Says KFF President and CEO Drew Altman, “We’re seeing premiums rising at historically slow rates, which helps workers and employers alike, but it’s made possible in part by the more rapid rise in the deductibles workers must pay.”

 

More info:

• Summary of findings is here
• Entire report with over 200 exhibits in 14 different sections is here
• News release is here
• Health Affairs article is here