title: Health Benefits In 2016: Family Premiums Rose Modestly, And Offer Rates Remained Stable.
abstract: The annual Kaiser Family Foundation/Health Research and Educational Trust Employer Health Benefits Survey found that in 2016, average annual premiums (employer and worker contributions combined) were $6,435 for single coverage and $18,142 for family coverage. The family premium in 2016 was 3 percent higher than that in 2015. On average, workers contributed 18 percent of the premium for single coverage and 30 percent for family coverage. The share of firms offering health benefits (56 percent) and of workers covered by their employers' plans (62 percent) remained statistically unchanged from 2015. Employers continued to offer financial incentives for completing wellness or health promotion activities. Almost three in ten covered workers were enrolled in a high-deductible plan with a savings option-a significant increase from 2014. The 2016 survey included new questions on cost sharing for specialty drugs and on the prevalence of incentives for employees to seek care at alternative settings.
authors.affiliation: Gary Claxton is a vice president, director of the Health Care Marketplace Project, and codirector of the Program for the Study of Health Reform and Private Insurance, all at the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation in Washington, D.C.
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Claxton
authors.affiliation: Matthew Rae (matthewr@kff.org) is a senior policy analyst in the Health Care Marketplace Project at the Kaiser Family Foundation.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rae
authors.affiliation: Michelle Long is a policy analyst in the Health Care Marketplace Project at the Kaiser Family Foundation.
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Long
authors.affiliation: Anthony Damico is an independent consultant for the Kaiser Family Foundation.
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Damico
authors.affiliation: Heidi Whitmore is a senior research scientist at NORC at the University of Chicago in Plymouth, Minnesota, and a research scientist in health policy and evaluation at NORC at the University of Chicago in Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Whitmore
authors.affiliation: Gregory Foster is a research manager at Health Research and Educational Trust, in Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Foster
mesh_terms: D017047:Cost Sharing / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003669:Deductibles and Coinsurance / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005190:Family; D006264:Health Benefit Plans, Employee / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D019458:Insurance Coverage / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States
keywords: Access To Care; Cost of Health Care; Employer-Based System < Insurance; Health Reform; Health Spending