SUMMARYOFFINDINGS SummaryofFindings Employer-sponsoredinsurancecoversoverhalfofthenon-elderlypopulation;approximately151millionnonelderlypeoplein 1 total. To providecurrentinformationaboutemployer-sponsoredhealthbenefits,theKaiserFamilyFoundation(Kaiser)and theHealthResearch&EducationalTrust(HRET)conductanannualsurveyofprivateandnonfederalpublicemployerswith threeormoreworkers. ThisisthenineteenthKaiser/HRETsurveyandreflectsemployer-sponsoredhealthbenefitsin2017. HEALTHINSURANCEPREMIUMSANDWORKERCONTRIBUTIONS In 2017, the average annualpremiumsforemployer-sponsoredhealthinsuranceare$6,690forsinglecoverageand$18,764for familycoverage[FigureA].Theaveragesinglepremiumincreased4%andtheaveragefamilypremiumincreased3%in2017. 2 Workers’wagesincreased2.3%andinflationincreased2.2%overthelastyear. Theaveragepremiumforfamilycoverage is lower for covered workers in small firms (3-199 workers) than for workers in large firms (200 or more workers) ($17,615 vs. $19,235). Premiumsforfamilycoveragehaveincreased19%since2012and55%since2007[FigureB].Averagepremiumsfor high-deductiblehealthplanswithasavingsoption(HDHP/SOs)areconsiderablylowerthantheoverallaverageforallplan typesforbothsingleandfamilycoverage,at$6,024and$17,581,respectively[FigureA].Thesepremiumsdonotincludeany firmcontributionstoworkers’healthsavingsaccountsorhealthreimbursementarrangements. Premiumsvarysignificantlyaroundtheaveragesforbothsingleandfamilycoverage,reflectingdifferencesinhealthcarecosts andcompensationdecisionsacrossregionsandindustries. Seventeenpercentofcoveredworkersareinplanswithanannual total premiumforfamilycoverageofatleast$22,517(120%ormoreoftheaveragefamilypremium),and21%ofcovered workersareinplanswherethefamilypremiumislessthan$15,011(lessthan80%oftheaveragefamilypremium). Mostcoveredworkersmakeacontributiontowardthecostofthepremiumfortheircoverage. Onaverage,coveredworkers contribute18%ofthepremiumforsinglecoverageand31%ofthepremiumforfamilycoverage. Workersinsmallfirms contributeahigheraveragepercentageofthepremiumforfamilycoveragethanworkersinlargefirms(39%vs.28%). Coveredworkersinfirmswitharelativelyhighpercentageoflower-wageworkers(atleast35%ofworkersearn$24,000ayear orless) contribute higher percentagesofthepremiumforsingle(23%)andfamily(37%)coveragethanworkersinfirmswitha 3 smallershareoflower-wageworkers(18%and31%,respectively). Aswithtotalpremiums,theshareofthepremiumcontributedbyworkersvariesconsiderably. Forsinglecoverage,14%of coveredworkersareinplansthatdonotrequirethemtomakeacontribution,60%areinplansthatrequireacontributionof 25%orlessofthetotalpremium,and2%areinplansthatrequireacontributionofmorethanhalfofthepremium. Forfamily coverage,3%ofcoveredworkersareinplansthatdonotrequirethemtomakeacontribution,44%areinaplanthatrequires acontributionof25%orlessofthetotalpremium,and16%areinplansthatrequiremorethanhalfofthepremium. Covered workersinsmallfirmsaremorelikelythancoveredworkersinlargefirmstobeinaplanthatrequirestheworkertocontribute morethan50%ofthetotalfamilypremium(36%vs.8%). 1 Kaiser CommissiononMedicaidandtheUninsured. Theuninsured: Aprimer—Keyfactsabouthealthinsuranceandtheuninsuredintheeraof healthreform: SupplementalTables[Internet]. Washington(DC):TheCommission;2016Nov[cited2017Aug1]. http://files.kff.org/attachment/ Supplemental-Tables-The-Uninsured-A%20Primer-Key-Facts-about-Health-Insurance-and-the-Unisured-in-America-in-the-Era-of-Health-Reform. See Table1: 271.3millionnonelderlypeople,55.8%ofwhomarecoveredbyemployer-sponsoredinsurance. 2 Kaiser/HRETsurveysusetheApril-to-Apriltimeperiod,asdothesourcesinthisandthefollowingnote. Theinflationnumbersarenotseasonally adjusted. BureauofLaborStatistics. ConsumerPriceIndex-AllUrbanConsumers: DepartmentofLabor;2017. [cited2017July21]https: //data.bls.gov/timeseries/CUUR0000SA0?output_view=pct_1mth. WagedataarefromtheBureauofLaborStatisticsandbasedonthechangeintotal averagehourlyearningsofproductionandnonsupervisoryemployees. Employment,hours,andearningsfromtheCurrentEmploymentStatisticssurvey: DepartmentofLabor;2017[cited2017July21]. http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CES0500000008 3 This threshold is based on the twenty-fifth percentile of workers’ earnings as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, using data for 2016. Bureau of Labor Statistics. May 2016 national occupational employmentandwageestimates: UnitedStates[Internet]. Washington(DC):BLS;[lastmodified2017Mar310; cited 2017Aug15]. Availablefrom: http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm The Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Research & Educational Trust / Page 4