Premiums for employer-provided health insurance jump

The price of health insurance provided by employers for families jumped 9% this year over 2010 as rising healthcare expenses contributed to the largest premium increases in six years, a national survey shows.

Annual insurance premiums for families rose to $15,073 on average in 2011, up from an average of $13,770 last year and more than twice the cost of a decade ago, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research & Educational Trust.

Employers picked up most of the cost, but workers continued to struggle to keep up with the growth in their share, which has far outpaced any growth in their earnings. Some experts predict the increases will slow next year.

"A big premium jump is especially tough for workers and employers when they're facing a faltering recovery, but it's really tough for workers when wages are declining in real terms," said Drew Altman, president of the Kaiser foundation. "The pain factor is pretty high right now."   Read More

Posted in: Health