Health insurance premiums for employer plans surge 41%! Deductibles rose an average of 77%!

[Better Believe It]

Health premiums for employer plans surge 41%
By Lena H. Sun
Washington Post Staff Writer
December 2, 2010

Premiums for employer-sponsored family health insurance increased an average of 41 percent across states from 2003 to 2009, more than three times faster than median incomes, and Maryland's rise was among the highest, at 50 percent, according to a report to be released Thursday by the Commonwealth Fund.

The report, which presents a state-by-state analysis of private employer health insurance costs for those six years, found that by 2009, the 10 jurisdictions with the highest annual total premiums included the District and Maryland. The average employer-sponsored family premium for all states was $13,027. In the District, it was $14,222; in Maryland, $13,833. Virginia ranked 32nd, below the national average, at $12,622.

The report also found that deductibles rose sharply in almost all states, increasing an average of 77 percent from 2003 to 2009 in large as well as small firms. In addition, more workers are paying deductibles; 74 percent faced a deductible in 2009 compared with 52 percent in 2003.

Schoen said the rapid increase in health insurance premiums means that many working families have been forced to trade off pay raises just to hold onto their health benefits. The expanding share of premiums paid by workers themselves has also taken a greater cut out of paychecks, she said.

Read the full article at:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/01/AR2010120106768.html

[bluetrain]

1. Sickening.

[Tansy_Gold]

2. bad pun

[librechik]

3. our copay went up 150%

from 10 to 25. I know they are trying to reduce heaath costs, but they aren't being serious, and they aren't trying the most effective plan. They haven't removed profit from the system (NOBODY ELSE ON EARTH HAS A PROFIT-BASED HEALTH CARE SYSTEM)And they haven't demanded government price controls. They still are drowning in red-baiting propaganda that won't allow us to use the most effective means, and keeps us enslaved to the monopolies whose profits have burst into record-breaking territory. Government was designed to protect us from the rapacious corporations. This government is just looking for a handout from them, and throwing our bodies to the wolves.

[aquart]

4. Congress is fine with it, right?

That's why they left us naked in the corporate jungle.

[Still a Democrat]

5. That was before HCR

And honestly I'd have guessed that figure to be higher.

[Better Believe It]

6. I didn't know the government has placed controls over insurance premiums and deducts. Links please.

So insurance premiums, deductibles and co-pays haven't gone up since the health insurance industry bill was passed.

Thanks.

[Mimosa]

7. K&R for facts. n/t