Insurance premiums rising faster in Ohio than in rest of nation

While most states have seen a substantial slowdown in recent years for premiums for employer-sponsored coverage,  Ohio is one of a handful of states that have continued to experience significant premium growth (Source: “Ohio employer health insurance premiums, workers' costs rise; incomes not keeping pace, new report shows,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, Jan. 8, 2015).

According to a new study from the Commonwealth Fund,  Ohio is one of just 10 states where annual premium costs for single-person coverage has grown an average of 6 percent or higher each year from 2010 to 2013. In fact, the price of that coverage in Ohio increased an average of 6.7 percent each year during that time period, higher than the national average of 4.1 percent. For family coverage, it was 7 percent, higher than the 5 percent national average.

Insurance costs are one of the factors included in the 2014 Health Value Dashboard that HPIO released in December.