According to a report by the Kaiser Family Foundation health insurance premiums increased 203%, outpacing both inflation and workers’ earningsBetween 1999 and 2015. However, growth of premiums for family coverage slowed toward the end of that time period, from an average of 11% per year between 1999 and 2005 to 5% per year between 2005 and 2015. Between 2014 and 2015, the average premium for single and family coverage increased 4%, and over the past 5 years, deductibles increased faster than both premiums and wages. There is considerable variation in the premiums offered by different employers; 8% of covered workers are enrolled in a family plan worth more than $24 000, and 4% are in plans worth less than $10 000 annually. More than half of large employers conducted an analysis to determine whether they offered insurance plans that would be subject to the excise tax on high-cost employer-sponsored health coverage slated to take effect in 2018.
