Affordability is a persistent struggle with employer-sponsored health insurance, according to 2024 data published in December by the University of Minnesota’s State Health Access Data Assistance Center.
The data brief relied on the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s Medical Expenditure Panel Survey-Insurance Component to better understand changes in 2024.
Here are five things to know about employer-sponsored coverage in 2024:
1. Family premiums were on par with buying a new car, at $24,540 — a 3% increase from 2023.
2. Delaware saw the steepest increase in average employer-sponsored single premiums from 2023, with Illinois and Rhode Island trailing. Delaware also led the pack for family premium increases, followed by Alabama and Rhode Island. No states experienced decreases for either type of premium. Nevada had the lowest premiums in both cases.
3. Employee contributions were generally comparable to 2023 figures. However, employee contributions for single coverage grew substantially in California and North Dakota, and employee contributions for family coverage grew significantly in Alaska and Montana.
4. Deductibles increased, with the single coverage average reaching $2,085 and the family coverage average reaching $4,063, 8% and 9% increases, respectively.
5. Over half of workers are enrolled in a high-deductible plan, which has lower premiums but steeper out-of-pocket maximums.
