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Efforts at health reform haven't stalled the decline in job-based health coverage. Approximately, 60% of private sector employers provided health benefits to their workers in March 2007, down from 62% in 2006, reports the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In addition, 71% of workers had access to health benefits, and 52% participated in health plans, figures that went unchanged from last year.
Employer contributions for health insurance averaged $293.25 per month per worker for single coverage, an increase of $26.75 from last year, and their contributions for family coverage averaged $664.04, an increase of $46.66 from last year.
Meanwhile, employee contributions to medical premiums averaged $81.37 per month for single coverage and $312.78 per month for family coverage, BLS finds.
Consumer-driven health plans haven't bloomed as much as predicted. About 8% of workers had the opportunity to use a health savings account this year, up from 6% last year. Full-time workers in management and professional occupations at large firms are more likely to be offered HSAs than lower-paid workers at smaller firms, BLS notes.
Paid leave remains the most commonly offered employee benefit in the private sector. Paid holidays and vacations are available to 77% of employees, while paid jury duty and paid funeral leave benefits are offered to 71% and 69% of workers, respectively.
