HEALTH INSURANCE: Premiums and Increases Comparison of Individual and Family Premiums Nationally and by State - 2004 - 2008. Originally released June 2007; Revised: October 2008 The increased cost of health insurance is a central fact in any discussion of health policy and health delivery. As annual premiums surge toward $13,000 for an average family, costs are blamed for rising uninsured and "under-insurance." For those Americans who are fully-covered, these cost realities affect employers, both large and small, not to mention the "pocket-book impact" on ordinary families. In 2008 the average fully insured individual faced an employee share of $725 for 1-person coverage and a $3,354 annual share for family coverage. The total premiums to cover a family are up to $12,680 according to the annual Kaiser/HRET survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Benefits. The table below illustrates some specific categories of health insurance policies, based on group insurance rates. 
Average Annual Firm and Worker Premium Contributions, 2007 
BACKGROUND & HISTORY While the overall rate of uninsured Americans has increased in recent years, the percentage of workers offered health insurance and the percentage of workers taking coverage when it was offered have remained relatively steady since the late 1980s, according to a study published in mid-2007 by the nonpartisan Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI). RECENT STATISTICS, STATE BY STATE, 2004-2006 Many organizations and agencies have reported health premiums over the years. However, state-by-state current data is scarce, and no federal agency releases such figures on an annual basis. For 2007, the Joint Economic Committee of the U.S. Congress in April released an updated tally of actual premium payments, contained within State by State Economic Snapshots: May 2007, online at http://jec.senate.gov. Their report indicates an average annual increase of 8.8%.
Average Health Care Premium
| | Single- Average Health Care Premium | | Family - Average Health Care Premium | | # enrolled | | | State | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | | # Employer-based | % of Pop. | | U.S. | $4,357 | $4,046 | $3,705 | | $11,768 | $10,927 | $10,006 | | 156,326,430 | 53% | | AL | $4,015 | $3,728 | $3,414 | | $10,963 | $10,180 | $9,322 | | 2,384,910 | 53% | | AK | $5,150 | $4,782 | $4,379 | | $12,185 | $11,314 | $10,361 | | 332,320 | 52% | | AZ | $4,043 | $3,754 | $3,438 | | $10,560 | $9,805 | $8,979 | | 2,729,070 | 46% | | AR | $3,822 | $3,549 | $3,250 | | $9,859 | $9,154 | $8,383 | | 1,265,580 | 46% | | CA | $4,156 | $3,859 | $3,534 | | $11,240 | $10,436 | $9,557 | | 17,110,580 | 48% | | CO | $4,333 | $4,023 | $3,684 | | $12,029 | $11,169 | $10,228 | | 2,649,060 | 58% | | CT | $4,544 | $4,219 | $3,864 | | $12,978 | $12,050 | $11,035 | | 2,111,690 | 61% | | DE | $4,504 | $4,182 | $3,830 | | $12,454 | $11,563 | $10589 | | 483,560 | 58% | | DC | $4,961 | $4,606 | $4,218 | | $13,810 | $12,822 | $11,742 | | 269,570 | 50% | | FL | $4,477 | $4,157 | $3,807 | | $12,283 | $11,405 | $10,444 | | 6,176,050 | 46% | | GA | $3,922 | $3,642 | $3,335 | | $10,958 | $10,174 | $9,317 | | 4,656,210 | 53% | | HI | $3,668 | $3,406 | $3,119 | | $10,091 | $9,369 | $8,580 | | 740,990 | 60% | | ID | $4,033 | $3,744 | $3,429 | | $10,477 | $9,726 | $8,908 | | 761,500 | 54% | | IL | $4,431 | $4,115 | $3,768 | | $12,181 | $11,310 | $10,357 | | 7,362,010 | 59% | | IN | $4,217 | $3,916 | $3,586 | | $11,607 | $10,777 | $9,869 | | 3,539,530 | 58% | | IA | $4,186 | $3,889 | $3,561 | | $11,081 | $10,289 | $9,422 | | 1,722,250 | 59% | | KS | $4,364 | $4,052 | $3,711 | | $11,152 | $10,354 | $9,482 | | 1,568,080 | 59% | | KY | $4,166 | $3,868 | $3,542 | | $11,628 | $10,797 | $9,887 | | 2,169,190 | 54% | | LA | $4,099 | $3,806 | $3,485 | | $12,009 | $11,150 | $10,211 | | 2,072,290 | 49% | | ME | $4,841 | $4,495 | $4,116 | | $12,729 | $11,819 | $10,823 | | 665,260 | 51% | | MD | $4,376 | $4,063 | $3,721 | | $11,590 | $10,762 | $9,855 | | 3,321,870 | 60% | | MA | $4,870 | $4,522 | $4,141 | | $12,418 | $11,530 | $10,559 | | 3,762,010 | 59% | | MI | $4,608 | $4,278 | $3,918 | | $11,482 | $10,661 | $9,763 | | 5,835,440 | 59% | | MN | $4,480 | $4,159 | $3,809 | | $12,122 | $11,255 | $10,307 | | 3,232,420 | 63% | | MO | $4,186 | $3,886 | $3,559 | | $10,834 | $10,060 | $9,212 | | 3,129,220 | 55% | | MS | $4,242 | $3,939 | $3,607 | | $10,806 | $10,033 | $9,188 | | 1,309,470 | 46% | | MT | $4,328 | $4,019 | $3,680 | | $10,625 | $9,865 | $9,034 | | 417,910 | 46% | | NE | $4,381 | $4,068 | $3,725 | | $11,297 | $10,490 | $9,606 | | 1,005,160 | 58% | | NV | $4,556 | $4,230 | $3,874 | | $11,726 | $10,887 | $9,970 | | 1,381,070 | 57% | | NH | $4,803 | $4,460 | $4,084 | | $13,120 | $12,182 | $11,158 | | 854,280 | 66% | | NJ | $4,566 | $4,239 | $3,882 | | $13,437 | $12,476 | $11,425 | | 5,428,020 | 62% | | NM | $4,000 | $3,714 | $3,401 | | $11,317 | $10,508 | $9,623 | | 828,840 | 43% | | NY | $4,537 | $4,213 | $3,858 | | $12,228 | $11,354 | $10,397 | | 10,012,430 | 53% | | NC | $4,176 | $3,878 | $3,551 | | $12,044 | $11,183 | $10,241 | | 4,441,010 | 53% | | ND | $3,930 | $3,649 | $3,342 | | $9,173 | $8,518 | $7,800 | | 345,400 | 56% | | OH | $4,448 | $4,130 | $3,782 | | $11,279 | $10,472 | $9,590 | | 6,706,100 | 59% | | OK | $4,286 | $3,979 | $3,644 | | $11,101 | $10,307 | $9,439 | | 1,648,530 | 48% | | OR | $4,359 | $4,047 | $3,706 | | $11,650 | $10,817 | $9,906 | | 1,888,140 | 52% | | PA | $4,317 | $4,009 | $3,671 | | $11,746 | $10,906 | $9,987 | | 7,041,680 | 58% | | RI | $5,137 | $4,770 | $4,368 | | $12,020 | $11,160 | $10,220 | | 584,730 | 56% | | SC | $4,437 | $4,120 | $3,773 | | $11,734 | $10,895 | $9,977 | | 2,079,910 | 50% | | SD | $4,056 | $3,766 | $3,449 | | $11,788 | $10,945 | $10,023 | | 388,100 | 51% | | TN | $4,274 | $3,968 | $3,634 | | $12,397 | $11,511 | $10,541 | | 2,854,050 | 49% | | TX | $4,447 | $4,129 | $3,781 | | $11,890 | $11,040 | $10,110 | | 10,805,450 | 48% | | UT | $3,568 | $3,313 | $3,034 | | $10,178 | $9,450 | $8,654 | | 1,431,430 | 58% | | VT | $4,791 | $4,449 | $4,074 | | $12,572 | $11,673 | $10,690 | | 318,520 | 52% | | VA | $4,546 | $4,221 | $3,865 | | $12,031 | $11,171 | $10,230 | | 4,406,750 | 60% | | WA | $4,243 | $3,940 | $3,608 | | $12,016 | $11,157 | $10,217 | | 3,428,500 | 56% | | WV | $4,342 | $4,032 | $3,692 | | $11,281 | $10,474 | $9,592 | | 867,510 | 48% | | WI | $4,618 | $4,288 | $3,927 | | $11,933 | $11,079 | $10,146 | | 3,198,690 | 59% | | WY | $4,423 | $4,107 | $3,761 | | $11,393 | $10,578 | $9,687 | | 264,970 | 53% | NOTE:
1 - The JEC is a bicameral Congressional Committee composed of ten members from each the Senate and the House of Representatives. There are twelve Democrats and eight Republicans on the Committee. The JEC was established by the Employment Act of 1946 (Public Law 304). Its main purpose is to make a continuing study of matters relating to the US economy. The Committee holds hearings, performs research and advises Members of Congress. Additional Resources Premiums versus Paychecks: A Growing Burden for Workers: Over the last eight years, health care costs have skyrocketed, while working families’ wages have stood still, putting a significant strain on family budgets. This series of state-specific reports examine what these trends mean for working families. | Press Releases by Families USA, (October 2008) Individual Health Insurance 2006-2007: A Comprehensive Survey of Premiums, Availability, and Benefits - One of a series of AHIP surveys, shows that the market for individually purchased coverage is more affordable and accessible than may be widely known. Published 12/17/07. 50-State Health Insurance and access profile - compares 2007 and 2004 data for insurance coverage. Published 12/07 by Minnesota State Health Access Data Assistance Center. 12/07; posted 12/08. Posted by NCSL's Finance, Insurance and Managed Care Project - Richard Cauchi, Program Director -- info |