After Obamacare Passes, Premiums Rise 9 Percent

Employer Health Premiums Rise Sharply

BY ANNA WILDE MATHEWS, Wall Street Journal

The health-insurance premiums paid by employers rose sharply this year, with the average annual cost of family coverage passing the $15,000 mark for the first time, according to a major survey.

The 9% average increase in family premiums for 2011, reported in an annual poll of employers performed by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research and Educational Trust, comes despite a continued trend toward more limited use of medical services in the U.S. Last year, family premiums rose just 3%, the survey found.