Nearly 13 percent of workers with employer-sponsored health plans who worked in firms with 10 or fewer employees had premiums of $7,200 or more a year for single-coverage plans in 2008, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. This amount is much higher than the $4,704 average, national premium for employer-sponsored single-coverage health plans in 2008.
The federal agency's analysis also found that:
o By comparison, only about 4 percent of workers enrolled in plans sponsored by large businesses - with 1,000 workers or more - had premiums of $7,200 or more for employer-sponsored, single-coverage health plans. The national average premium in large business for this type of coverage was $4,340.
o For family coverage, about 7 percent of enrolled workers in small businesses had premiums of at least $19,000 in 2008, but only about 4.5 percent of employees in large companies had premiums that high. The national average premium for a family-coverage health plan in 2008 was $11,650 (less than 10 employees) and $12,595 (1000+ employees) , respectively.
o Across all businesses, five percent of employees with single coverage had premiums of $7,200 or more, while five percent of employees with family coverage had premiums of $19,000 or more.
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