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Insurance premiums for self-employed rose 18
percent
Newswise — People who buy their own health
insurance saw their average annual premiums
rise 18 percent between 2002 and 2005, a
modest increase compared to the 34 percent
jump in average premiums for people insured
through their employers, according to the
latest News and Numbers from the Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality.
But the annual cost of these non-employer
policies are paid entirely out of pocket.
Average annual premium for a one-person
policy was $2,835 in 2005, up from $2,531 in
2002. Annual premiums for family policies
were $5,568 in 2005, up from $4,442 in 2002.
The new AHRQ analysis also found that:
· Among those under age 65, about 12 million
Americans, or less than 5 percent, were
covered by policies purchased in the
non-employer market in 2005. That compared
to 174 million, or 67 percent, covered by
employer-based health insurance.
· For people with company-sponsored
insurance, average annual premiums paid out
of pocket rose from $1,231 to $1,655 between
2002 and 2005.
· About 70 percent of non-employer policies
were single coverage and 30 percent were for
family coverage.
· Premiums for non-employer policies differ
by age of policyholders. One-person premiums
were $1,580 for policyholders under age 40
and $4,288 for policyholders aged 55-64.
AHRQ, which is part of the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services, works to
enhance the quality, safety, efficiency, and
effectiveness of health care in the United
States. The data in this AHRQ News and
Numbers summary are taken from the Medical
Expenditure Panel Survey, a detailed source
of information on the health services used
by Americans, the frequency with which they
are used, the cost of those services, and
how they are paid.
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