Contrary to Employer-based Health
Insurance Plan Costs that Increased an
Average of 11.2 Percent in 2004
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., October 12, 2004 – Health insurance
premiums for individuals across the country are holding steady at $150 per
month, reported eHealthInsurance in its semi-annual Cost and Benefits of
Individual Health Insurance Plans Report, released today. The report also shows
that individuals who purchase their health insurance through the individual
market choose plans with a deductible under $1000 nearly 40 percent of the
time.
Families who
purchased health insurance through the individual market were able to
effectively manage their health insurance costs, paying an average monthly
premium of $307 per month. Employer-based health insurance costs were up in
2004 by 11.2 percent1, but according to eHealthInsurance premium
costs in the individual market were up only 7 percent ($19 on average) for
families from the last period.
“Consumers are
now taking more control of their healthcare choices to manage costs,” said Gary
Lauer, CEO of eHealthInsurance, the nation’s leading source of health insurance
for individuals and families. “In the individual market, the majority of
individuals and families are able to purchase quality health insurance at
surprisingly affordable costs, while getting plans with comprehensive benefits,
including prescription drugs.”
The Cost and
Benefits Report presents an analysis of data from a sample of about 82,000
health insurance policies purchased nationally through www.ehealthinsurance.com from April
through September 2004. The last report in the series was released in March of
this year.
Since its
founding in 1997, eHealthInsurance, Inc. (www.ehealthinsurance.com) has become
the nation's leading source of health insurance for individuals, families and
small businesses. The company sells health insurance in states that represent
about 96 percent of the U.S. population. eHealthInsurance offers more than
4,000 health plans underwritten by more than 140 of the nation's leading
health insurance companies. The company is headquartered in Mountain View,
California.
eHealthInsurance.com and eHealth are
registered trademarks of eHealthInsurance Services, Inc.
eHealthInsurance
650/210-3140
emily.fox@ehealthinsurance.com
1.
Source: “Employer Health Benefits - 2004 Survey,” The Kaiser Family
Foundation and Health Research and Education Trust, August 2004 – pg.
16