Health Insurance Premium Costs Up Over 100Pct Since 1996

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - American workers and employers have good reason to feel financially pinched if they have health insurance because premiums for policies have soared by more than 100 percent since 1996 alone, government officials say.

United States Department of Health and Human Services' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality just released the details of its latest News and Numbers nationwide survey of employment based health insurance premium costs.

U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality found:

• Average premium costs of family insurance plans rose from $4,954 to $11,381 a year, while costs for single insurance plans went from $1,992 to $4,118.
• Employers absorbed most of the increases with their share rising from $3,679 to $8,491 a year for family coverage and from $1,650 to $3,330 a year for single coverage.
• Employees also saw a hefty increase with their share rising from $1,275 to $2,890 a year for family coverage, and from $342 to $788 a year for single coverage.