Public Health Scene

Americans who get health insurance for their families through their jobs have seen their premiums increase 10 times faster than their income in recent years, according to a new analysis of government data by the University of Minnesota.

Nationwide, the amount employees pay for family coverage increased 30 percent from 2001 to 2005, while family policyholders’ income increased just three percent over the same period.

The study shows that the proportion of insurance premiums that workers pay for family coverage has remained constant over the years, but the dollar amount that workers contribute has substantially increased.

In Minnesota, the amount employees pay for family coverage increased 28.6 percent between 2001 and 2005, slightly less than the national average.

“This study makes plain what every working parent knows--that providing insurance coverage takes a bigger bite from the family budget every year,� said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which funded the study. “There is a clear connection between the rising cost of health care and the increasing number of uninsured Americans. As costs continue to go up, fewer people can pay their portion of the premium, and fewer employers are able to offer insurance benefits. This research shows that an ever-increasing number of people will join America’s uninsured unless our nation’s leaders act to reform our health care system.�

The study also found that, nationally, 4.1 million fewer people worked in private-sector jobs that offered health insurance in 2005 than in 2001.

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