Skip to main content
SHADAC | State Health Access Data Assistance Center
CONNECT WITH US
VISIT STATE HEALTH COMPARE
  • ABOUT US
    Contact UsFeatured ProjectsOur Team
  • OUR EXPERTISE
    State and Federal Health PolicyMedicaid and CHIP PolicyDelivery and Payment System ReformHealth Coverage and Access to CareHealth Care Cost and AffordabilityHealth EquitySocial DeterminantsQuantitative and Qualitative EvaluationData Analytics and VisualizationState and Federal SurveysPopulation Health
  • BLOG & NEWS
    SHADAC BlogNewsletterIn the MediaSocial Media
  • PUBLICATIONS
    Reports & BriefsJournal ArticlesPresentationsInfographics
  • STATE PROFILES
  • ABOUT US
    Contact UsFeatured ProjectsOur Team
  • OUR EXPERTISE
    State and Federal Health PolicyMedicaid and CHIP PolicyDelivery and Payment System ReformHealth Coverage and Access to CareHealth Care Cost and AffordabilityHealth EquitySocial DeterminantsQuantitative and Qualitative EvaluationData Analytics and VisualizationState and Federal SurveysPopulation Health
  • BLOG & NEWS
    SHADAC BlogNewsletterIn the MediaSocial Media
  • PUBLICATIONS
    Reports & BriefsJournal ArticlesPresentationsInfographics
  • STATE PROFILES
ADVANCED SEARCH
DIG DEEPER
  • to
Search By Category
SHADAC | State Health Access Data Assistance Center
  • Search
  • View Menu
  • State Health Compare

Blog & News

Print
author
SHADAC Staff

p 612.624.4802
e shadac@umn.edu

facebook
twitter
linkedin
google plus

Trends in Employer-Sponsored Insurance, 2012-2016: Deductible Increases Offset Slowdown in Premium Growth

September 6, 2017:

A new analysis from SHADAC highlights the experiences of private sector workers with employer-sponsored insurance (ESI) from 2012 through 2016 at the national level and in the states.

Key Findings

  • Nationally, the percentage of employers offering health insurance coverage was unchanged from 2015 to 2016, as was the percentage of workers eligible for ESI offered to them.
  • Changes in offer rates from 2015 to 2016 varied by firm size: Offer rates stabilized among small firms but increased among large firms. 
  • Nationally, 73.3 percent of eligible workers were enrolled in ESI in 2016, down 1.7 percentage points (pp) from 2015.
  • Premium increases have continued, but the growth rate of premiums remained stable from 2015 to 2016. 
  • Slowed premium growth from 2015 to 2016 was offset by a 10.1 percent ($155) increase in average deductibles during this time period.
  • The proportion of workers enrolled in high-deductible health plans nationwide grew significantly from 2015 to 2016, reaching 42.6 percent (a 3.2pp increase).
  • State variation in access to and enrollment in ESI plans, along with ESI cost, continued.

The Takeaway

Employer-sponsored insurance continues to be the backbone of the insurance coverage system in the United States, covering more than half the population, but we are seeing a decline in the financial protection provided by employer coverage.

SHADAC Deputy Director Elizabeth Lukanen noted, “SHADAC’s analysis shows that while the number of workers with employer-sponsored coverage isn’t changing much over time, the value of their coverage is eroding, as employees shoulder increasingly higher deductibles.”

And, with the dominant role of employer coverage in the broader coverage landscape, it’s important to note that even small changes in the value of employer coverage affect a significant number of people.

Explore the Analysis

The following products present findings from this analysis:

  • Summary chartbook highlighting key findings on levels of, and trends in, employee access to and take up of ESI coverage as well as average ESI premiums and deductibles
  • Two-page profiles of ESI for each state
  • 50-state interactive map showing levels of, and changes in, worker enrollment in high-deductible health plans in 2016, with links to state profile pages
  • 50-state comparison tables

About the Data
This analysis uses data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey-Insurance Component (MEPS-IC). 

Related Reading
Slow Nationwide Climb in Premiums for Employer Health Coverage Continued in 2016, Driven by Premium Increases in Just a Few States
SHADAC Blog

Now Available: 2016 Estimates on Employer Coverage, Premiums, and Deductibles
SHADAC Blog
facebook
twitter
linkedin
google plus
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
University of Minnesota
The State Health Access Data Assistance Center (SHADAC) is a program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and a part of the Health Policy and Management Division of the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota.
©2002-2022 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. The University of Minnesota is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
  • Contact Us
  • Employment
  • Privacy Policy

Stay Up To Date

Join our mailing list to receive the SHADAC newsletter and news and events announcements from SHADAC.


SUBSCRIBE
  • SHADAC on Twitter
  • SHADAC on Facebook
  • Email SHADAC
  • Contact Us
  • Employment
  • Privacy Policy