Only 60% of California employers offered health insurance in 2012 compared to 71% in 2002, according to a survey by the California HealthCare Foundation. More than one-third of those offering coverage plan to increase employees’ premium costs in the coming year and almost one-fourth plan to increase employees’ deductibles.
Since 2002, premiums in California rose a whopping 169.7%. That’s more than five times the 31.5% increase in the state’s inflation rate. The survey also found the following trends in 2012:
• Average monthly premiums for single coverage were $545 in California and $468 nationally.
• Monthly premiums for family coverage were $1,386 in California and $1,312 nationally.
• More than one-quarter of workers in small firms had a deductible of $1,000 or more for single coverage in 2012, up from just 7% in 2006. Only 8% of workers in large firms had a deductible of $1,000 or more.
• 21% of California firms increased the workers’ share of premiums in the preceding year while 17% reduced benefits or increased cost-sharing.
For more information, visit http://www.chcf.org.
