Report: Workers Spending More for Health Insurance

Employees contributed an average of $1,415 toward premiums for single coverage and $5,218 for family coverage in 2017, according to a report released recently by the Commonwealth Fund. The employee premium contributions were 6.8 percent higher for single health coverage and 5.3 percent higher for family health coverage than in 2016. The average deductible for single coverage increased in 35 states and the District of Columbia, ranging from $863 in Hawaii to about $2,300 in Maine and New Hampshire. In 11 states, including North Carolina, premium contributions were 8 percent of median income or more.