
Employers are predicting an increase of as much as 9 percent, on average, but are generally avoiding passing along much of that to their employees, industry groups say.
The annual open enrollment period for health benefits is now underway at many workplaces. According to surveys by industry groups and benefit consulting firms, employers expect the costs of those benefits to jump as much as 9 percent on average in 2025, after years of more modest increases. But workers probably won’t be asked to shoulder them all. In recent years, employers have assumed much of the cost increases, probably because of a tight job market, said KFF, a nonprofit health research group. And employers may take steps to rein in their costs.
KFF found that while employers have seen the total annual cost of premiums for family coverage rise 24 percent over the past five years, the amount that workers pay rose 5 percent, or less than $300 on average. Workers contribute about a quarter of the average $25,572 annual family premium, or about $6,300.
About 154 million Americans rely on their employers for health insurance, according to KFF.
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