As health care costs continue to rise, employers have a tough choice: absorb the hit to their budgets themselves, or pass some of the cost increase onto employees. The latter option is becoming less appealing as employers are looking to keep their benefits competitive to keep and recruit workers. Moreover, some employees simply can't afford to pay any more than they already are. According to an analysis from Kaiser Family Foundation earlier this year, the average premium for a family employer-sponsored health plan has surpassed $20,000, and it's hitting lower income pocketbooks hardest. Related: $11 trillion in health care costs over the next decade? Yep. A recent analysis by The Commonwealth Fund drilled even further down into the weight of health care costs on Americans and how health care coverage has changed over the past decade. Back in 2008, the average American was only paying $4,160 for their combined deductible and premium contribution. Today, it's $7,388. As a percentage of overall income, spending jumped from 7.8 in 2008 to 11.5 today. Those in some states are feeling the increased burden more than others. Those in the South are putting more of their income towards health insurance--16.5 percent in Mississippi, 15.9 percent in Louisiana, and 14.5 percent in Georgia. Meanwhile, deductibles are increasing fastest in Hawaii, Alabama and Iowa, and decreasing for those in Maryland, New York and Oklahoma. Check out the slideshow above to see which states are paying the most and least for deductibles, or delve even further into the report here. Read more: |

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