Job-based health benefits in 2002: some important trends.
Based on a national survey of 2,014 randomly selected public and private firms with three or more workers, this paper reports changes in employer-based health insurance from spring 2001 to spring 2002. The cost of health insurance rose 12.7 percent, the highest rate of growth since 1990. Employee contributions for health insurance rose in 2002, from $30 to $38 for single coverage and from $150 to $174 for family coverage. Deductibles and copayments rose also, and employers adopted formularies and three-tier cost-sharing formulas to control prescription drug expenses. PPO and HMO enrollment rose, while the percentage of small employers offering health benefits fell. Because increasing claims expenses rather than the underwriting cycle are the major driver of rising premiums, double-digit growth appears likely to continue.
Gabel
Jon
J
Health Research and Educational Trust, Washington, DC, USA.
Levitt
Larry
L
Holve
Erin
E
Pickreign
Jeremy
J
Whitmore
Heidi
H
Dhont
Kelley
K
Hawkins
Samantha
S
Rowland
Diane
D
D017047:Cost Sharing / Q000639:trends; D003625:Data Collection; D005249:Fees and Charges / Q000639:trends; D005569:Formularies as Topic; D006264:Health Benefit Plans, Employee / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends*; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006279:Health Maintenance Organizations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D011243:Preferred Provider Organizations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017149:Private Sector; D017150:Public Sector; D014481:United States