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

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.

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.