In recent years, most of the news coverage of health insurance premiums has focused on trends in the Affordable Care Act marketplace, where only a small minority of Americans get their coverage. Premiums for employer-sponsored plans, the most common type of coverage, are trending upwards as well. Between 2016 and 2017, the average annual premium for an individual employee rose by $267, to $6,368, according to an analysis conducted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Related: Big premium hike? Blame it on the kids The premium trends varied greatly between states. Five states showed a decrease: Florida (-3.1 percent), Georgia (-3.4 percent), Maine (-1.3 percent), Ohio (-0.7 percent) and Utah (-11 percent). The average family premium increased 5.5 percent to $18,687. The change in family premiums in each state largely mirrored the change that occurred for individual premiums. Employees are also picking up a larger share of premiums. Nationally, the percentage of the total premium paid by employees rose from 21.7 percent to 22.2 percent. States where workers pick up the largest share of their premium are dispersed across the country: Alabama (26.2 percent), Maryland (26 percent), Virginia (25.8 percent), Massachusetts (24.9 percent) and New Hampshire (24.7 percent). In contrast, states whose workers pay the smallest share are all found in the west: Hawaii (11.2 percent), Washington (13.9 percent), Idaho (15 percent), Wyoming (15.9 percent), Montana (16.6 percent) and Oregon (16.8 percent). "Premiums, out-of-pockets and deductibles are on the rise for the majority of Americans who get their health insurance through work," said Mona Shah, a program officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. "Cost increases at this level aren't sustainable and require a renewed commitment to improving the effectiveness and value of health care services, so insurance can be more affordable for everyone." Want more insight into health care premiums? |

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