The average cost of family health insurance plan premiums has decreased for the first time in seven years, according to California-based eHealth Inc., a private health insurance exchange.
The company released the finding in its annual report, “The Cost of Benefits of Individual & Family Health Insurance,” which surveyed 395,000 individual and family major medical policies nationwide. Premiums decreased 0.5 percent in 2012 compared to 2011, and averaged $412 per month, according to the report. Premiums for individuals increased, however, by 3.8 percent in 2012, with monthly costs averaging $190.
“In this year’s cost and benefit analysis, we’re pleased to report a relative flattening of the cost curve, at the same time that plan benefits and consumer protections have increased due to health reform,” said Gary Lauer, eHealth chairman and CEO.
While 20 states showed a decrease in average monthly premiums for family coverage, the average cost of deductibles grew 5.1 percent year over year, according to the report. Deductibles for individual policies also grew an average of 4.9 percent.
