Sixty percent of private businesses offer health insurance to their employees, according to a study released last week by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. And while those businesses employ 71 percent of all private-sector employees, just over half of those with access choose to participate in health plans.
The relatively low number of participation might be due to the premiums employees are required to pay. The study, which was conducted in March, found that although businesses paid 81 percent of individuals’ premiums, that left an average of $81.37 for workers to pay on their own. Businesses paid 71 percent of premiums for family policies, leaving an average of $312.78 to be picked up by workers’ families.
The full report, titled “National Compensation Survey: Employee Benefits in the United States, March 2007,” can be found here.
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