The amount of money a typical family pays for healthcare is rising, according to a recent study from Milliman reported in Insurance Journal.
The study examines healthcare costs for a typical American family of four with employer-sponsored PPO plans.
Here are 10 things to know from the study:
1. Healthcare costs are expected to rise 6.3 percent this year.
2. High prescription drug prices are the main cost-driver.
3. The total bill for healthcare costs in a family of four is expected to hit $24,671; the employer is on the hook for around $14,198 and the employee pays on average $10,473.
4. The consumer price index increased 0.2 percent in March — healthcare costs are increasing at a rate far outpacing the consumer price index.
5. For the fifth year in a row, employees are assuming an increasing percentage of the total cost of care.
6. The total costs — including payroll deductions and out-of-pocket expenses — for healthcare is up 43 percent this year over 2010; at the same time employer costs are up 32 percent.
7. Payroll deductions accounted for $6,408 of the total healthcare costs for families this year, with $4,065 being out-of-pocket expenses.
8. Prescription drugs are expected to account for $467, a 13 percent increase over 2010.