The annual family premiums for employer-sponsored health plans rose by 4% to $21,342 this year compared to 2019, according to a new survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation.
The survey, released Thursday, also found that employer-sponsored premiums and deductibles have risen much faster than worker wages over the past decade. The foundation cautioned, though, that the survey was taken partially before the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused a massive recession and job losses.
“Conducted partly before the pandemic, our survey shows the burden of health costs on workers remains high, though not getting dramatically worse,” Drew Altman, the foundation’s CEO and president, said in a release on the findings. “Things may look different moving forward as employers grapple with the economic and health upheaval sparked by the pandemic.”
Kaiser found that the average single deductible for a worker is $1,644, which is similar to the $1,655 average from 2019.
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However, that is a major increase from the average $917 back in 2010.
In addition, another 83% of covered workers had a deductible with their plan, which is similar to 2019 but a major 70% increase from 2010.
“These two trends result in a 111% increase in the burden of deductibles across all covered workers,” Kaiser said.
The survey also found that 56% of employers offer health benefits, which has been largely unchanged over the past five years.
It found that a larger employer was more likely to offer health insurance to at least some of its workers, with 99% of firms with at least 200 or more workers giving out coverage.
But 53% of companies with fewer than 50 workers offered coverage, the survey found.
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Kaiser’s survey was of nearly 1,800 small and large employers. Another 1,817 firms responded to a single question about whether they offered coverage.
“Plan details such as premiums and deductibles largely reflect decisions made by employers before they felt the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis,” Kaiser said. “Next year’s survey will provide the first full look at how the pandemic may have affected workers’ health benefits.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused massive job losses and furloughs since the onset back in March.