Health insurance premiums on the rise in 2012

car insurance rates homeowners

Survey shows health insurance premiums are growing Employer sponsored health insurance premiums for family plans went up this year, according to a survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research & Educational Trust. Health insurance premiums have been a serious concern since the Affordable Care Act was passed in 2010. The federal health care law seeks to lower premiums, but many suggest that the changes the law brings to the health care and insurance industries will, in fact, cause a spike in health insurance premiums. Premiums show modest…

Read More

The high deductible health plan is becoming the industry standard

health insurance

Businesses and individuals alike are trying to save money by increasing their up-front costs. Though a high deductible health plan had once been considered a last resort alternative for companies that had limited resources, are now becoming the new normal, including among Fortune 500 corporations. According to a senior actuary at Towers Watson, Mark Olsen, “A number of employers have looked at this over the last couple of years, and they’ve said, ‘No, this isn’t the year, no this isn’t the year.” However Olsen added that this year, they have…

Read More

Survey shows that health insurance is growing more expensive but also more restrictive

A new survey released yesterday by Towers Watson, a leading professional service and consulting firm, and the National Business Group on Health, a trade organization, claims that health insurance is getting more expensive, but is also covering much less than it used to. The survey, which targeted several large companies throughout the U.S., shows that employees are paying more for their coverage this year than they have in the past. They are also subject to more restrictions on their insurance and health care options, with many benefits being cut by…

Read More

The increased popularity of health plans with high deductibles are causing workers to pay more

As a growing number of companies are seeking to be able to continue to afford to provide their workers with health insurance, plans with high deductibles are becoming increasingly popular and are requiring those employees to pay more while receiving less. According to the Employee Benefit Research Institute’s survey data from December, 2011, 27.7 million people of working age had a health insurance plan with a deductible of a minimum of $1,000 for individuals and a minimum of $2,000 for families. According to the report on the survey, the percentage…

Read More

Gallup survey shows that employer provided health insurance is disappearing

A new survey from the Gallup Organization, a consultation and polling company, shows that employer sponsored health insurance is on the decline. The survey began on January 1 of 2011 and came to its conclusion on December 31 of the same year. Declines in insurance coverage are a persistent trend in the U.S. despite claims from the federal government. The Obama administration insists that the Affordable Care Act has brought coverage levels to an all time high. While this may be true for young adults, this is not the case…

Read More