Map of life expectancy at birth from Global Education Project.

Monday, September 19, 2005

Well Duhhh . . .

From the Commonwealth Fund:

SEPTEMBER 14, 2005 -- The cost of health insurance premiums is rising faster than both wages and inflation, according to results of the Annual Employer Health Benefits Survey released Wednesday by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

And as health care costs have risen over the past five years, the number of businesses offering health insurance to their employees has dropped, the study indicates.

The study found that insurance premiums increased 9.2 percent since 2004. While that is lower than the previous year's growth, it is about three times the growth in workers' wages and more than two times the rate of inflation, the study found.

Annual premiums for family coverage were $10,880 in 2005, which is more than earnings for a full-time minimum-wage worker, which is $10,712, according to the survey.

CWF update

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