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According to an annual health benefits report from the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research and Educational Trust, the average premium for family coverage in 2007 is $12,106, and workers on average now pay $3,281 to cover their share of the cost of a family policy. In addition, the number of employers offering medical insurance to their workers is declining, as smaller firms in particular struggle with the rising cost of health care.
"I think employers are doing everything they can to hang on," remarks Drew Altman, president and CEO of KFF. "They may be forced to shift more costs to employees . . . [and] there's a lot of movement in the small employer marketplace, [but] new small employers are just not offering health insurance."
According to the KFF/HRET 2007 Employer Benefits Survey, 60% of employers provide health benefits this year, similar to the 61% in 2006 but lower than the 69% in 2000. The overall drop is driven by the declining percentage of small firms that offer coverage, researchers say, as nearly all large businesses with at least 200 workers offer health benefits this year (99%), but fewer...