Healthcare Costs Rise More Than 7 Percent for U.S. Employers in 2009
3/22/2010
The study analyzed insurance claims data for 144 small, medium-sized, and large companies that provided health benefits to 9.5 million individuals from 2007 to 2009. Data for the study was derived from the Thomson Reuters MarketScan® Commercial Claims and Expenditures Database.
Key findings include:
• Employer costs outpace overall healthcare spending: Average healthcare costs for employers in the study rose 7.3 percent in 2009, while overall U.S. healthcare spending (which includes Medicare, Medicaid, and other payers) grew at a more modest 4.8 percent, according to National Health Expenditures data from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services Office of the Actuary.
• Smaller employers hit the hardest: Among small employers (less than 5,000 employees), healthcare costs increased 9.8 percent in 2009, nearly double the 5 percent rate seen in 2008. Medium-sized employers (5,000 to 50,000 employees) saw cost increases accelerate from 6.5 percent in 2008 to 10 percent in 2009. Among large companies (more than 50,000 employees) costs rose 5 percent in 2009 - a decrease from the 5.8 percent recorded in 2008.
"In a year when inflation was non-existent, employer healthcare costs continued to surge," said Chris Justice, author of the report and director of practice leadership for the Healthcare & Science business of Thomson Reuters. "This analysis puts the real-world healthcare challenges facing employers into perspective. These cost increases have come at a particularly difficult time for U.S. companies."
Project Announcements
Kimberly-Clark Expands Aiken County, South Carolina, Distribution Operations
05/04/2025
Aerowerks Plans Gaffney, South Carolina, Manufacturing Operations
05/04/2025
Sweden-Based Troax Group Plans Portland, Tennessee, Manufacturing Operations
05/04/2025
Kimberly-Clark Corporation Plans Warren, Ohio, Manufacturing Operations
05/04/2025
Denmark-Based Novonesis Expands Salem, Virginia, Production Operations
05/04/2025
Polyvlies USA Expands Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Manufacturing Operations
05/04/2025
Most Read
-
Run a Job Task Analysis
Q4 2024
-
39th Annual Corporate & 21st Annual Consultants Surveys: What Business Leaders and Consultants Are Saying About Site Selection
Q1 2025
-
The Location Economics of Advanced Nuclear
Q1 2025
-
Why Workforce Readiness Can’t Wait
Q1 2025
-
Power, Policy, and Site Selection in 2025
Q1 2025
-
Is It Time to Start Planning for Quantum Data Centers?
Q1 2025
-
Top States for Doing Business in 2024: A Continued Legacy of Excellence
Q3 2024