VISIT STATE HEALTH COMPARE
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Now Available: 2016 Estimates on Employer Coverage, Premiums, and Deductibles
July 20, 2017:
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has released 2016 estimates from the Medical Expenditure Panel – Insurance Component (MEPS-IC) on private sector employer-sponsored insurance (ESI) coverage, premiums, and deductibles. Highlights from the national tables are available in AHRQ Statistical Brief #503.
ESI Coverage: Offers and Eligibility Stable, Take-Up Down
Nationwide, the percentage of employees working at establishments that offer coverage was statistically stable in 2016 at 84.3 percent (vs. 83.8 percent in 2015), as was the percentage of these employees who were eligible for the coverage offered, at 76.5 percent (vs. 76.0 percent in 2015). However, the ESI take-up rate dropped to 73.3 percent in 2016 from 75.0 percent in 2015, representing a significant decline.
ESI Costs: Premiums and Deductibles Grew, but Premiums Grew Slowly
Premiums increased nationwide in 2016, but the growth rate was among the lowest seen during the 2009 to 2016 period. Single coverage premiums were $6,101 in 2016, and family coverage premiums were $17,710--up 2.3 percent and 2.2 percent, respectively, from 2015 levels.
Individual deductibles increased to $1,696 in 2016, from $1,541 in 2015 (a 10.1 percent increase). Family deductibles also rose to $3,069 in 2016 from $2,915 in 2015 (a 5.3 percent increase).
Explore the Data: State Health Compare
SHADAC’s State Health Compare has been updated to include 2016 MEPS data. Visit State Health Compare to explore national and state-level estimates for the years 2002 to 2016 for the following indicators:
- Workers in establishments that offer coverage
- Average annual ESI premium
- Employee contributions to premiums
Stay Tuned for State-Level Analysis
Keep an eye on the SHADAC blog, where we’ll be posting findings from a closer look at state-level trends in ESI premiums and deductibles.
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