Employers turn to workers to help slow health cost growth

The Kaiser data shows that while premium increases have moderated - with family premiums growing an average of three percent past year - many employers have increased their use of high-deductible plans, and the deductibles themselves have also skyrocketed. That's faster than both wages (up 2.5%) and inflation (up 1.1%). Employers expect their health-benefit costs to rise by about 4 percent on average next year, about in line with annual increases since 2014, according to the survey.

Earlier this month, the federal government released data showing that insurers in Minnesota are seeking rate increases of 36 percent to 66 percent for individual policies next year.

Stoves said that the deductible rose 10 percent this a year ago, to $2,000 for an individual plan in 2016.

Since 2011, the average deductible for single coverage has soared 63 percent, according to the survey, while workers' earnings have gone up by only 11 percent.

"The importance of this study is its ability to inform decision makers from all sectors as new or emerging strategies for health care coverage are being constructed".

While growth of premiums in employer plans is low by historical standards, workers are being asked to pay more when they seek care.

A decade ago, these plans were nearly unheard of. For the first time, the survey found that more than half of all covered workers face deductibles of at least $1,000 a year for individual coverage.

This year's survey finds that most employers who provide health benefits offer coverage to workers' spouses.

To help patients deal with potentially higher out-of-pocket costs — and entice workers to sign on to the plans — employers often set up an account and stock it with money that can be used to cover these expenses. Counting employer contributions this way would reduce the share of covered workers with deductibles of at least $1,000 to 38 percent.

— Deductibles are on the rise for many types of coverage.

Those at firms with at least 50 co-workers are very likely to have health insurance offered at their job.

The survey also finds little evidence that businesses are reducing workers' hours to avoid the law's requirements to offer coverage.

More and more employers are also linking high-deductible plans to savings or reimbursement accounts to help workers handle the cost of care. Deductibles for family plans are typically even higher. This share is similar for large and small firms.

"It encourages workers to make good choices", said Gary Claxton, director of Kaiser's Health Care Marketplace Project.

Single Premiums. Premiums for single coverage now average $6,435 annually, of which workers contribute $1,129 on average.

Anderson says companies do think hard before they bump up deductibles because employees don't like it.

Members of high-deductible plans paid almost a fourth of their total medical costs out of pocket versus only 14 percent for members of conventional plans.

"It's clearly not driven up employer health costs", Altman told reporters. Most (59 percent) of these firms offer financial incentives for undergoing the screenings, and some (14 percent) tie the incentives to meeting specific outcomes such as a targeted body mass index (BMI) or cholesterol level.

But the newest Kaiser survey highlights the effects of another shift: the continuing growth of plans that involve higher out-of-pocket costs in the form of deductibles. The new plan has an individual deductible of $1,500, with an out-of-pocket maximum of $3,000, and he said that more than a third of the company's roughly 1,500 US employees switched over - more than expected. For more information on the survey methodology, please visit the Survey Design and Methods Section.