The high cost of health care is persisting during the pandemic, even for people lucky enough to still have job-based insurance. The average annual cost of a health plan covering a family rose to $21,342 in 2020, according to the latest survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit group that tracks employer-based coverage. Workers paid about a quarter of the total premiums, or $5,588, on average, with their employers picking up the rest of the cost. While premiums rose only slightly from the 2019 survey, the increase in premiums and deductibles together over the last decade has far outpaced both inflation and the growth in workers’ earnings. Many experts expect more people to lose coverage in the coming months as companies lay off workers or drop their health benefits.

Source: New York Times October 08, 2020 19:41 UTC