2003 Employer Health Benefits Annual Survey

How much has the cost of employer-based health benefits gone up since last year?

How much of the higher costs is being shouldered by employers?

How much is being passed on to workers in the form of higher premiums, co-pays, deductibles?

To what extent are employers cutting benefits?

The answers to all these questions and more are found in this year's Employer Health Benefits Annual Survey. This report, produced by the Health Research and Educational Trust and the Kaiser Family Foundation (HRET/Kaiser), is an indispensable resource for health benefits professionals and consultants, workers, health policy researchers, and health insurance providers.

Major findings include:

  • Third consecutive year of double-digit premium increases, up 13.9% from last year.
  • Over the past three years, the amount of the premium employees pay for family coverage has increased almost 50%, from $1,619 to $2,412 annually.
  • Deductibles, office visit co-pays, and prescription drug co-pays have all increased substantially.

The HRET/Kaiser report is essential for understanding the realities of employer-based health coverage:

  • Get a complete picture of the benefits and choices that employers across the nation are providing for their employees—with data segmented by industry, business size, region, and employee wage level.
  • Learn how much employers are paying for health benefits
  • Identify prevailing trends—and employers’ plans to change.
  • Reliable information from a credible source:
    • Interviews with over 2000 employers.
    • 13 years of tracking and trending employer health benefits.
    • The HRET/KFF Employer Health Benefits Annual Survey is routinely  featured in national news outlets, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, ABC, CNBC, CNN, National Public Radio, Associated Press.
  • Easy-to-use:
    • Extensive charts and graphs.
    • Historical data from previous surveys.
A single complimentary copy of this report may be obtained from the Kaiser Family Foundation by calling 1-800-656-4533, or from their website at www.kff.org. Multiple copies may be obtained from HRET by calling 1-800-242-2626 (item number 097510) or at www.ahaonlinestore.org Survey findings are based on a national random sample of over 2000 interviews with human resource and benefits administrators from firms with three or more workers. The survey was conducted from January to May of 2003. The report includes detailed findings on premiums and cost increases, employee cost sharing, retiree health benefits, prescription drug coverage, health plan choice, changes employers are planning on making in the face of rising costs, and employers' thoughts on many topics including consumer driven health care.