Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Americans With Employer-Sponsored Plans Are Still Finding Coverage Unaffordable As Out-Of-Pocket Expenses Rise
Miami Herald: Employer-Sponsored Healthcare Costs Rising, Study Finds
Americans who get health insurance through their employers are finding their coverage unaffordable as out-of-pocket expenses have outpaced earnings over the past decade, according to a new study, which shows Floridians were especially hard hit. Florida was one of the nine most expensive states for premium contributions, which equated to 8% or more of the median income in 2018, according to a study released Thursday by the Commonwealth Fund, a New York-based nonprofit that advocates for expanded health insurance coverage. (Conarck, 11/21)
San Francisco Chronicle: Health Care Costs For California Workers Are Growing Far Faster Than Incomes
Californians who get health insurance through their jobs are having to spend a greater share of their paychecks on health care costs, according to a new analysis of employer-sponsored health plans to be released Thursday by the Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit foundation that researches health industry trends. California workers went from spending 8% of their income on health insurance premiums and deductibles in 2008, about $4,100, to nearly 12% of their income on premiums and deductibles in 2018, about $6,900. (Ho, 11/20)
The Virginian-Pilot: Virginians Spend More On Their Health Insurance Than People In Almost Every Other State
The sums Virginians spend on health insurance through their employers are higher and have climbed faster than the national average, a new study shows — even as employers pay a lower share here than in other states. Typical out-of-pocket costs for employer-provided health insurance rose by 7.1% in Virginia over the past two years to reach $8,143, according to data compiled by The Commonwealth Fund, a century-old foundation that aims to improve health care in the United States. That’s the sixth highest total in the nation. (Ress, 11/21)
Portland Press Herald: Mainers With Employer-Based Health Plans See Deductibles Soar
In Maine, the average employee’s out-of-pocket costs – a combination of premiums, copays and deductibles – surged from $4,670 in 2008 to $7,879 in 2018, according to the report by the New York City-based The Commonwealth Fund. Across the United States, average employee costs rose from $4,160 in 2008 to $7,388, an increase of 78 percent. (Lawlor, 11/21)
Read the study in our Research Roundup section below.
