FREE HEALTH INSURANCE QUOTES Start here...

Select Insurance Type:

Individual Health Family Health Group Health Small Business Health Short Term Health Medicare Supplemental Travel Insurance

Zip code:

A recent Families USA study confirms the desperate need for health care reform today. The study shows that in most states family health insurance rates rose much faster than employee wage increases.

The study, called Premiums Versus Paychecks, examines median wages and health insurance premiums for the period between 2000 and 2007. For example, Alaska's health care premiums rose 74%, and worker earnings increased 13%.

Michigan saw only a 4.6% increase in wages, but a staggering 78% jump in insurance premiums. That's means Michigan health insurance premiums rose 17 times faster than Michigan paychecks!

What's even worse: while premiums have risen, coverage has dwindled. Many of the families that are currently insured have seen their treatment options dry up.

To be sure, not all states are as hard-hit as Michigan. North Dakota saw a nearly 3:1 ratio as wages went up over 27% and family health premiums rose 74%. The study only takes these factors, as well as employer vs. employee portions, into consideration.

Many factors must account for the disparity among states, but none of the states surveyed showed a wage increase larger or even approaching the health premium increase.

This trend will most likely continue, discouraging working families and perhaps throwing them into a financial crunch. However, since the cost of medical treatments has also been on the rise, it's still very important to acquire health insurance coverage.