Employer-Sponsored Single, Employee-Plus-One, and Family Health Insurance Coverage: Selection and Cost, 2004. MEPS Statistical Brief No. 134

摘要

Health insurance provided by employers is a key source of coverage for both employees and their families. In 2004, more private sector employees obtained non-single coverage health insurance (a plan covering the employee and at least one other family member) through their employers than single, self-only coverage. According to the Insurance Component of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS-IC), those employees with non-single coverage contributed both a larger dollar amount and a larger percentage of the total premium for their coverage than did employees with single coverage. Non-single health insurance plans encompass two types of coverage: family coverage and employee-plus-one coverage. Prior to 2001, MEPS-IC only collected information on family coverage plans. Information relating to coverage for a family of four was collected in cases where multiple pricing levels were offered to employees. Beginning in 2001, separate data were also collected for employee-plus-one coverage. This Statistical Brief presents estimates on the selection and cost of single, employee-plus-one, and family health insurance coverage in 2004. Only differences that are statistically significant at the 0.05 significance level are discussed in the text.