Health benefits in 2010: premiums rise modestly, workers pay more toward coverage.

Our annual analysis of health benefits contains findings from interviews of 2,046 public and private employers surveyed during January-May 2010. Average annual premiums in 2010 were $5,049 for single coverage and $13,770 for family coverage--up 5 percent and 3 percent from 2009, respectively. Workers paid more toward premiums in 2010, and more workers are in consumer-directed plans and plans with high deductibles than in 2009. Thirty percent of firms reported that they reduced the scope of benefits or increased cost sharing because of the recession. Surprisingly, the percentage of firms offering health benefits in 2010 increased to 69 percent, up from 60 percent in 2009. The change was largely driven by a thirteen-percentage-point increase in the number of firms with three to nine workers that offered benefits (up from 46 percent in 2009 to 59 percent in 2010). The reason for this increase is unclear.