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Posted
September 11, 2007

Health insurance premiums rise by 6.1%

Health insurance premiums in the United States rose an average of 6.1 percent this year--"outpacing inflation and pay increases and taking a bigger chunk out of families' budgets"--even though the increase was smaller than in previous years. (Source: "Health insurance premiums rise 6.1%" Associated Press, Sept. 11, 2007).

The numbers, based on a new survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation, found that premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance for the average family topped $12,000. Employers and employees shared that cost, with employees picking up about one-fourth of the total. While Ohio-specific data isn't available in the report, insurance premiums in the Midwest as a whole rose by 6.0%, slightly below the national average. In 2006 premiums in the Midwest rose by 7.1%, with a rise of 9.1% in 2005. (Source: Employer Health Benefits 2007 Annual Survey, Kaiser Family Foundation, page 22.)

In the Midwest, the average annual cost of single coverage insurance was $4,511, with family coverage being $12,222 (source: ibid, page 25), while 60% of Midwestern firms offer insurance coverage (source: ibid, page 33).

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