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42 percent of workers in employer medical care plans had high-deductible plans available in 2017

July 03, 2018

In March 2017, 49 percent of private industry workers were in medical care benefits plans provided by their employer. Employers covered all premium costs for single coverage for 15 percent of workers, and these premiums averaged $569.18 per month. The other 85 percent of workers paid 21 percent of the premiums on average for single coverage, or $134.13 per month. High-deductible plans were available to 42 percent of workers in medical care plans in 2017. These plans typically have a higher deductible amount (at least $1,300) and lower premiums than traditional medical care plans. These plans normally provide catastrophic coverage to protect against large medical expenses, but the insured worker is responsible for routine medical expenses.

Percent of private industry workers participating in employer-provided medical care plans who had high-deductible plans available, 2017
Characteristic Percent

All private industry workers

42%

Occupation

Sales and office

49

Management, professional, and related

44

Production, transportation, and material moving

41

Service

34

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance

31

Industry

Financial activities

55

Trade, transportation, and utilities

47

Information

45

Professional and business services

45

Manufacturing

44

Construction

40

Education and health services

35

Full or part time

Full time

43

Part time

37

Union membership

Nonunion

45

Union

18

Forty-nine percent of medical plan participants in sales and office occupations had high-deductible plans available in 2017. That compares with 31 percent of medical plan participants in natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations. Eighteen percent of union workers had high-deductible plans available in 2017, compared with 45 percent of nonunion workers.

These data are from the National Compensation Survey — Benefits program. To learn more, see Health and Retirement Plan Provisions in Private Industry in the United States, 2017. For definitions of the terms related to employee benefits, see the Glossary of Employee Benefit Terms.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, 42 percent of workers in employer medical care plans had high-deductible plans available in 2017 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2018/42-percent-of-workers-in-employer-medical-care-plans-had-high-deductible-plans-available-in-2017.htm (visited March 28, 2024).

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