A national survey of employer-sponsored health plans has found the cost of health benefits is substantially higher in Connecticut compared to the national average. It also determined, among other findings, that health-benefit costs rose 4.3 percent in 2015.
According to the National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans, conducted annually by Mercer, total health-benefit costs averaged $11,635 per employee in 2015 nationally. This cost includes both employer and employee contributions for medical, dental and other health coverage, for all covered employees and dependents.
In Connecticut, total health-benefit costs for active employees increased to an average of $12,908 per employee.
Employers believe their health- benefit costs could increase to 6.3 percent in 2016 if they maintained the status quo. The survey found they expect to hold their cost increase to 4.7 percent by making changes to plan design and/or plan vendors.
Small employers were hit with higher increases than large employers. Cost rose by 5.9 percent on average among employers with 10-499 employees but by just 2.9 percent among those with 500 or more.
Other Connecticut findings include:
- Based on the current premiums in their highest-cost (or only) medical plan, an estimated 41 percent of respondents will hit the excise tax threshold in 2018 if they make no changes to the plan between now and then.
- The average employee contribution amount for employee-only coverage is $155 monthly for a PPO/POS plan, $79 monthly for an HMO and $81 monthly for an HSA-eligible consumer driven health plan.
- Employers were asked how likely they are to terminate their medical plans within the next five years and send employees to the public health exchange to seek coverage. No Connecticut respondents say they are likely or very likely to do so.
