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A recent national survey revealed that in the present years, employers and employees are going to visualize another rise in health insurance premiums that predicts that the growth would be 5% for the individual plans and on the other hand, 4% for the family plans. However, the source informed that the rise is far lower than that of many previous years.
The survey conducted by the Health Research & Educational Trust, an affiliate of the American Hospital Assn, and Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit organization also reported that almost 57% of organizations having at least three employees offered health benefits to their workers in 2013 and there is only a few evidence that the employers are dropping coverage. The report also revealed that the share of the employers offering health benefits remain almost static from 2012.
However, it is significant that like previous years the increases in health premiums outpaced wage growth and inflation that adds rising burden that healthcare costs are putting on Americans. According to Helen Darling, president of the National Business Group on Health the rise is still three or four times than the usual rate of inflation.
According to the report, the average total cost for a family health plan has reached $16,315 in this year. On the contrary, the average share of employer’s premium raised only 3% which indicates that the employers maintain to shift more health costs on to their staffs.
It is noteworthy that the survey did not take into consider the premiums of nearly 20 million people who purchase health insurance of their own. It is informed that almost 150 million people receive employer-sponsored coverage. Affordable Care Act generated a new web based market places that would start in October and offer the citizens who do not receive health insurance through their employer.
President Obama promised that the new law would decrease the health cost of the citizens. However, the recent survey published the report that it is not happening yet. Employers with lower paying workers compel their employees to pay more in order to enjoy health benefits. According to the report, workers pay a sum of $1,363 more for a family health plan in case more than 35% workers of the organization receives the wage of less than $23,000.
The reliable source informed that the Obama administration was glad to know the result of the survey. The spokesperson of Health and Human Service Department, Joanne Peters in a statement informs that since the Affordable Care Act became law, the cost of healthcare is slowing down and the rate of premium is increasing slowly. The law, which is signed in 2010 exempted employers who are offering health plans to their workers.
It is informed that almost all employers who recruits more than 200 employees arrange at least one fitness program in to measure their employees’ health risk. Gary Claxton, Vice President of Kaiser and the lead investigator of the survey stated that this would be a significant issue in the next year as employers will enjoy more flexibility and force the employees to pay more because of their health conditions and lifestyle.