Family Health Premiums Reach $13,375 Annually in 2009, Up 5 Percent as Inflation Fell Nearly...(eir workers this year. As in the past t...),Health

Among those firms offering benefits, 21 percent report they reduced the scope of health benefits or increased cost sharing due to the economic downturn, and 15 percent report they increased the worker's share of the premium.

"When health care costs continue to rise so much faster than overall inflation in a bad recession, workers and employers really feel the pain. That's why we are having a health reform debate," Kaiser President and CEO Drew Altman, Ph.D., said.

"Today's survey results demonstrate the need for comprehensive, meaningful reform," said Maulik S. Joshi, DrPH., president of HRET and senior vice president for research at the American Hospital Association. "Our nation faces a unique opportunity to achieve reform and build a better health care system that improves care for patients and provides coverage for all at an affordable cost."

The survey reveals that a growing number of workers who are covered by their employer are facing high deductibles in their plans in addition to contributing to the premiums for their coverage. In 2009, 22 percent of covered workers must pay at least $1,000 out of pocket annually for single coverage before their plan generally will start to pay a share of their health care bills, up from 18 percent last year and 10 percent in 2006.

The increase in covered workers with high deductibles stems from changes at large employers (200 or more workers), though workers at smaller firms remain significantly more likely to face high deductibles. Among covered workers at large firms, 13 percent now face deductibles at or above $1,000; at small firms (three to 199 workers), 40 percent face deductibles at or above $1,0
'/>"/>