Same Old Story: Health Insurance Premiums Soar, Yet Again

Haven’t we all heard this one before? The average cost of health insurance premiums rose sharply this year: Family costs are up 9%, topping $15,000 annually for the first time. Over the last 10 years, family premiums have risen by 113%—exponentially faster than workers’ wages and inflation.


The Kaiser Family Foundation report offers all the grim statistics, in particular that the average health insurance premium for a family—arranged through an employer, not independently via the private market—costs $15,073 this year, up from $13,770 in 2010. If there’s any consolation to the most recent insurance premium price hike, it’s this: While the overall increase for families (9%) outpaces the average rise in workers’ wages (2.1%) and inflation (3.2%), employers are picking up the bulk of newly more expensive rates.  Read More

Posted in: Health