Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance Premiums Increased By 6.1% In 2007, Less Rapidly Than In Recent Years But Still Faster Than Wages, Inflation, Surv
Between January and May, 3,078 randomly selected non-federal public and private companies with at least three employees that were surveyed by telephone; 1,997 companies responded to the full survey, and 1,081 responded to a single question about whether they offer health insurance to employees. Key findings from the survey also were published in the journal Health Affairs (Freudenheim, New York Times, 9/12). Premiums
Annual premiums for family coverage averaged $12,106 in 2007, with employees on average paying 28% of the cost, or $3,281. Employees pay 16% of the cost of premiums for single coverage, the survey found (Kaiser Family Foundation/HRET/Health Affairs joint release, 9/11). Employees at small companies -- those with three to 199 workers -- on average pay $4,236 annually toward premiums for family coverage, compared with $2,831 for those at larger companies, according to the survey. However, the survey found that employees at small companies on average pay $561 annually for single coverage, compared with $759 for those at larger companies (Lee, Washington Post, 9/12). Availability of Health Benefits
The survey found that 60% of companies offer health insurance to employees, down from 69% in 2000 (Carey, CQ HealthBeat, 9/11). Ninety-nine percent of large companies offer health insurance to employees, compared with 45% of small companies, the survey found (Fuhrmans, Wall Street Journal, 9/12). Consumer-Driven Health Plans
According to the survey, 5% of employees with health insurance, or about 3.8 million, were enrolled in consumer-driven plans in 2007, statistically unchanged from 4% in 2006 (Lopes, Washington Times, 9/12). About half of those employees were enrolled in high-deductible health plans that qualify for health savings accounts, and half were enrolled in plans with health reimbursement arrangements, the survey found. The survey found that 10% of companies offer consumer-driven health plans to employees, compared with 7% in 2006, not a statistically significant difference.
Companies on average pay $7,815 toward the cost of family coverage under high-deductible plans that qualify for HSAs, including $714 for the account. They pay $10,179 toward the cost of family coverage for plans with HRAs, including an average of $1,800 for the account. Compared to the $8,879 average firm contributions for other types of plans, employer contributions are lower for HSA-qualified plans and higher for plans with HRAs. Companies made no contributions to the accounts of about half of all employees enrolled in high-deductible plans that qualify for HSAs for family coverage, the survey found. Among companies that do not offer consumer-driven health plans to employees, 2% say they likely will offer high-deductible plans that qualify for HSAs in 2008, and 3% likely will offer plans with HRAs, the survey found. Additional Results
The survey also found:Among companies whose health plans include deductibles, the average annual deductible for single coverage totals $461 for PPOs, $401 for HMOs, $621 for POS plans and $1,729 for consumer-driven health plans;
Among companies with three- and four-tiered prescription drug cost-sharing, the average copayment totals $11 for generic medications, $25 for preferred medications, $43 for nonpreferred medications and $71 for fourth-tier medications (Kaiser Family Foundation/HRET/Health Affairs joint release, 9/11);
47% of companies that offer health insurance to employees also offer coverage to unmarried opposite-sex domestic partners, and almost 37% offer them to same-sex partners (New York Times, 9/12);
57% of employees with health insurance are enrolled in PPOs, compared with 21% in HMOs, 13% in POS plans, 5% in consumer-driven health plans and 3% in conventional indemnity plans;
61% of companies that offer health insurance to employees allow workers to use pre-tax dollars to pay for premiums, and 22% offer flexible spending accounts, with large companies more likely than small companies to offer such benefits; and
21% of companies that offer health insurance to employees "very likely" will increase the amount workers pay toward premiums in 2008, and 13% "very likely" will increase copays for physician visits; 12% "very likely" will increase deductibles; and 11% "very likely" will restrict eligibility for coverage or drop coverage. Comments
Kaiser Family Foundation President and CEO Drew Altman said, "We're seeing some moderation in health cost increases, but premiums for family coverage now top $12,000 annually," adding, "Every year, health insurance becomes less affordable for families and businesses. Over the past six years, the amount families pay out of pocket for their share of premiums has increased by about $1,500" (Kaiser Family Foundation/HRET/Health Affairs joint release, 9/11). He said, "We've seen these peaks and valleys and rates of increases before," adding, "If we take a bird's-eye view ... the overall trend is certainly going to be up" (Colliver, San Francisco Chronicle, 9/12).
Altman added, "There's no question we're seeing a slow fraying of coverage in the employer-based system" (Salginik, Baltimore Sun, 9/12). In addition, he said, "It's the growing anxiety on the part of the public which is moving health care up the public agenda" (Von Bergen, Philadelphia Inquirer, 9/12).
According to Gary Claxton, a vice president and director of the Health Care Marketplace Project at the Kaiser Family Foundation and a co-author of the survey, "Consumer-driven plans have established a foothold in the employer market, but they haven't grown as much as one might think, given all the attention that they receive" (Kaiser Family Foundation/HRET/Health Affairs joint release, 9/11). Claxton said that, as the number of employees without health insurance decreases, health insurers "realize they must moderate their prices" because they are "in a fight for market share in a shrinking market" (Selvin/Costello, Los Angeles Times, 9/12).
HRET President Mary Pittman said, "The number of options for low-wage earners is limited, and the greatest burden of all health care costs falls to this segment of the population. Although the economy seems to be strong, between 2005 and 2006, the total number of uninsured still rose by 5%, including a 9% increase in the number of uninsured children" (Kaiser Family Foundation/HRET/Health Affairs joint release, 9/11).
Jon Gabel, a senior fellow at the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago and a co-author of the survey, said, "Despite the economic expansion that added two million new jobs from April 2006 to April 2007, the employer-based system can do no better than tread water," adding, "It makes one ask, 'What will happen during the next economic downturn?'" (Dixon, Reuters, 9/11).
Full survey results and free access to the Health Affairs article are available online at http://www.kff.org/insurance/7672/index.cfm. Broadcast Coverage
NPR's "All Things Considered" on Tuesday reported on the survey. The segment includes comments from Altman and Lavonna Clark, office manager for survey respondent Schoonover Plumbing and Heating in Pennsylvania (Silberner, "All Things Considered," NPR, 9/11).
Audio and a partial transcript of the segment are available online.
Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation© 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
Angajator-sponsorizate de asigurãri sociale de sãnãtate Primele au crescut cu 6,1% în 2007, mai rapid decât în ultimii ani, dar încã mai repede decât Salarii, inflaþia, Surv - Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance Premiums Increased By 6.1% In 2007, Less Rapidly Than In Recent Years But Still Faster Than Wages, Inflation, Surv - articole medicale engleza - startsanatate