Kaiser’s survey included responses from 1,933 randomly selected employers that responded to its telephone survey. Kaiser conducted the survey between January and May of this year.
Below are nine findings.
1. Roughly 29 percent of employees with coverage were enrolled in high-deductible plans that can be paired with health savings accounts that aren’t taxed, up from 24 percent in 2015 and 20 percent in 2014.
2. Average premiums for employer-sponsored family coverage rose 3.4 percent to $18,142 in 2016. Employees paid about 30 percent of premium costs, compared to 29 percent in 2015.
3. Average premiums for employer-sponsored individual plans was $6,435. Employers paid about 18 percent of costs, the same as in 2015.
4. More than 50 percent of workers with employer-sponsored coverage for individuals had a deductible equal to or greater than $1,000.
5. Employers with individual employer-sponsored coverage had average deductibles of $1,478.
6. The share of employees enrolled in preferred provider organization plans dipped below 49 percent this year — the first time it has fallen below 50 percent since 2001.
7. Since 2011, the average deductible for a single-person coverage has grown by 63 percent. Workers’ wage earnings have increased by only 11 percent.
8. Kaiser Foundation analysts suggested the movement of employees into high-deductible health plans reduced the rate of premium growth by 0.5 percent in 2015 and 2016.
9. Kaiser’s annual employer survey has shown a long-term decline among small companies that offer healthcare coverage. Among employers with between 10 and 49 employees, 66 percent offered health benefits this year, compared to 76 percent in 2012.
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