Nine in 10 Americans Have Employer Health Coverage

August 30, 2005 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Annual premiums for employer-sponsored health plans in 2004 averaged $3,696 for individuals and $9,948 for family coverage, according to a new survey by America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP).

The study by AHIP, a Washington, DC-based trade group for health insurers, found that about 90% of nonelderly Americans get their health insurance from their employer, which is subsidized through the tax system, the report said.

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Nearly all employers pay at least half of the premium. On average, employers pay 85% of the cost of single coverage, and 72% of the cost of family coverage, the survey indicated.

“When nearly everybody in a firm signs up, premiums reflect the average cost of coverage for a large group of people – young and old, healthy and sick,” the report indicated. “Usually, all workers in a given workplace who choose the same coverage pay the same premium.”

The survey is here .

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