Employees pay for about $6,000 of those costs, and companies cover the rest, the 2021 Kaiser Family Foundation Employer Health Benefits Survey found. The average annualThe average annual premium for a single worker in 2021 rose to $7,739, which is also up 4%. Workers pay about $1,300, and employers cover the rest.
Companies realize that their plans aren’t affordable, particularly for lower-paid workers, Gary Claxton, a senior vice president at Kaiser,“They do know these plans are expensive and hard for their employees to use,” Claxton said. “Given the cost of health care in this country, it’s pretty difficult to fashion good benefits at a lower cost for employees, particularly those at a lower and moderate wage.
About 155 million Americans rely on employer-sponsored coverage, with premiums on the rise during the past decade, Kaiser reported. Since 2011, average family premiums have increased 47% -- more than wages or inflation, which rose 31% and 19%, respectively.before insurance covers costs, the survey found. That’s similar to last year but up 68% during the past decade.
Say it with me now… inflation.