WASHINGTON — Data compiled by the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW) January 17 through February 7 shows a substantial increase in group health insurance premiums paid by industry employers, says the association. Information was provided by over 460 wholesale distribution companies of all sizes and across all lines of trade, 99 percent of which offer health insurance as an employee benefit.
For the second year in a row, the average premium increase was 19 percent, according to the NAW survey. Employers with 50 and fewer employees experienced a 23 percent average hike, a three-point boost in the rate of increase these smaller employers reported in a similar NAW survey conducted last spring. Wholesaler-distributors with more than 500 employees had premium increases averaging 16 percent, a rate of increase equaling their previous year's experience.