Group Health Insurance Premiums rose only moderately last year in California

The new 2013 Employer Health Benefits Survey released last week shows that premiums for employer-sponsored family health coverage rose only moderately from last year but at a rate still well in excess of wage increases and the general inflation rate.

The Kaiser Family Foundation/Health Research & Educational Trust survey found that premiums for family coverage rose 4 percent from last year to $16,351, with workers on average paying $4,565 toward the cost of coverage. During this same period, wages rose 1.8 percent while the general rate of inflation was up 1.1 percent.

The survey also found that 78 percent of all covered workers this year pay an annual deductible, up from 72 percent in 2012.