Newly published numbers from the Department of Health and Human Services show that American workers in 2010 paid average premiums of $4,940 for employer-provided health insurance to cover just themselves. That figure increased from $1,992 in 1996. Last year, the average family paid $13,871 for health insurance under employer-provided plans.

For the average American household — whose median income is now about $50,000 — the rising price of health insurance is consuming a substantial part of paychecks. Click the link below to see a chart documenting the rise in cost per person between 1996 and 2010, as well as a map showing a state-by-state breakdown of costs. –ARK

National Journal:

Just over 51 percent of workers enrolled only themselves in employer-sponsored health insurance plans, the Agency for Health Research and Quality found. Average premiums were $4,940 for one person; $9,664 for employee plus-one coverage; and $13,871 for family coverage.

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