Data analyzed by

State Health Compare

Percent of annual premiums contributed by employees

Measure Overview

Health insurance plans typically charge a monthly fee called a “premium.” In the case of employer-sponsored insurance (ESI), the cost of a health plan premium is split between the employer and the employee. The share of ESI premiums paid by employees across single and family insurance policies has increased over the past decade. As a result, employee contributions to ESI premiums represent a growing share of workers’ incomes. Tracking employee contributions to ESI premiums is a key step in understanding and comparing the cost of ESI plans and addressing financial barriers to coverage, even for those who seem to have ready access to or the option of enrolling in a health insurance plan.

State Health Compare provides annual state-level measures of employee contributions to premiums for single plans and family plans. These measures reflect data collected in the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey – Insurance Component (MEPS-IC).

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