Once upon a time, just a few years ago, employers almost unbegrudgingly added health insurance to their employee benefit package and as insurance costs began to rise, this perk became highly prized by employees. Everyone was happy. Employers who offered good perks, got to pick from the cream of the employee crop, and employers had their health care costs covered.
Things changed, as all things inevitably do and a darkness covered the land. The American economy slowed; available jobs decreased and health care costs sky rocketed. It has been estimated that employer-sponsored health-care costs rose by 9.3% in 2005, 7.7% in 2006 and 6.1% in 2007.
On average, employers currently pay, $3,785 a year for single-person coverage and $8,824 to cover a family, passing 16% of that premium, to individual employees, and 28% of it to families.
Smaller employers often charge their employees less for single coverage while significantly increasing it for family coverage. Things are expected to get even worse for employees as, according to one survey, 40% of large employers say they are |
