Health Insurance Premiums Have More than Doubled Since 1996

Private-sector employers and their employees have seen their health insurance premium costs go up by more than 100% since 1996, according to the latest news and numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

AHRQ’s survey also found that for employment-based health insurance between 1996 and 2006:

  • Nationwide, the average premium cost of a family insurance plan rose from $4,954 to $11,381 a year, while the average cost for a single premium went from $1,992 to $4,118.
  • Employers paid for most of the increases; their share rose from $3,679 to $8,491 a year for family coverage and from $1,650 to $3,330 a year for single coverage.
  • Employees saw their share rise significantly, as well – from $1,275 to $2,890 a year for family coverage, and from $342 to $788 a year for single coverage.

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