Trends in Health Insurance at Private Employers
MEPS Statistical Brief #536
Employer-sponsored insurance (ESI) is the primary source of health insurance coverage for individuals under age 65.
Trends in Health Insurance at Private Employers, a statistical brief from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey-Insurance Component (MEPS-IC), describes trends and patterns in ESI for private-sector employees.
Highlights
- Employer-sponsored health insurance at private-sector employers was characterized by stability in premiums and cost-sharing for covered workers in 2020.
- In 2020, single premiums increased by 2.5 percent, while premiums for employee-plus-one and family coverage were not significantly different from 2019 levels.
- From 2019 to 2020, there was no statistically significant change in the average employee out-of-pocket premium for single coverage, while increases for employee-plus-one (4.0 percent) and family coverage (4.4 percent) were in line with the long-term average annual rate of change from 2008 to 2020.
- From 2019 to 2020, the overall percentage enrolled in plans with a deductible increased from 86.6 to 89.2 percent. This increase was in line with long-term trends after 2 years with no change.
- Deductible levels for individual and family coverage in 2020 were not statistically different from 2019
- From 2019 to 2020, there were no statistically significant changes in enrollment rates or offer rates for small, medium, or large firms.
- Overall enrollment and offer rates increased from 2019 to 2020. These increases are due to a large reduction in employment among small employers, and a corresponding increase in the proportion of employees in medium and large firms.
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