Employer premiums on health care plans rose higher this year than they have in the past five years – but employers are responding by continuing to pass the costs onto workers and also reducing their prescription drug coverage, according to the 2017 United Benefit Advisors Health Plan Survey.
Premium renewal rates for employer-sponsored health insurance rose an average of 6.6 percent -- a significant increase from the five-year average increase of 5.6 percent, according to responses from 20,099 health plans and 11,221 employers.
On the high end, Connecticut saw a record 24 percent increase in premiums in 2017, up to $655 from $530 in 2016; and New York saw a large increase of 14 percent, up to $712 from $624. However, some states saw decreases in premiums, such as Arizona and Washington, which saw 2 percent and 10 percent decreases, respectively.
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Katie Kuehner-Hebert
Katie Kuehner-Hebert is a freelance writer based in Running Springs, Calif. She has more than three decades of journalism experience, with particular expertise in employee benefits and other human resource topics.
