title: Health benefits in 2004: four years of double-digit premium increases take their toll on coverage.
abstract: This paper reports changes in employer-based insurance during the past year and since 2001. From spring 2003 to spring 2004, premiums increased 11.2 percent (compared with 13.9 percent last year). Since 2000, premiums have increased 59 percent. Since 2001, employee contributions have grown by 57 percent for single coverage and 49 percent for family coverage, and the percentage of workers covered by their own employer's health plan has fallen from 65 percent in 2001 to 61 percent in 2004. The worst of the current round of premium inflation appears to be over, but employers plan to increase employee cost sharing next year [corrected]
authors.affiliation: Health Research and Educational Trust in Washington, DC, USA. jgabel@aha.org
authors.forename: Jon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gabel
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Claxton
authors.forename: Isadora
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gil
authors.forename: Jeremy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pickreign
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Whitmore
authors.forename: Erin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Holve
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Finder
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hawkins
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rowland
mesh_terms: D006264:Health Benefit Plans, Employee / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D019458:Insurance Coverage; D007349:Insurance, Health, Reimbursement; D008329:Managed Care Programs; D014481:United States