Employee Health Care Deductibles Continue to Rise

The Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) and Health Research & Educational Trust recently released their 2016 Employer Health Benefits Survey.  The Survey revealed “83% of covered workers have a general annual deductible for single coverage that must be met before most services are paid for by the plan. … Among all covered workers, those enrolled at firms with a deductible and those without, the average deductible is $1,221” – a 13% increase from $1,077 in 2015.  Higher deductibles may discourage patients from seeking care, therefore leading to smaller increases in premium costs.  The Survey revealed the average family premium rose 3% from 2015, as well as that “covered workers contribute 18% of the premium for single coverage and 30% of the premium for family coverage, similar percentages to the recent past.”  The Survey was conducted via interviews with 1,933 firms from January 2016 to June 2016.  For additional information, see the KFF 2016 Employer Health Benefits Survey page.