STATE-LEVEL TRENDS IN EMPLOYER-SPONSORED HEALTH INSURANCE, 2012–2016

From STATE HEALTH ACCESS DATA ASSISTANCE CENTER, August 2017 (excerpts)

The nation’s attention has recently concentrated on health insurance coverage purchased through Affordable Care Act marketplaces, but it is important to remember that the majority of individuals in the United States are enrolled in health insurance through an employer.

The following chartbook summarizes analyses of the experiences of private-sector employees who had Employer-Sponsored Insurance (ESI), by firm size, from 2012 to 2016....

CHANGES IN EMPLOYER-SPONSORED HEALTH INSURANCE (ESI) OFFER RATES, 2012–2016

• Only five states saw significant changes to employer offer rates (among firms of all sizes) from 2015 to 2016 
• Hawaii (7.0% decline)

PERCENT OF WORKERS IN ESTABLISHMENTS OFFERING COVERAGE, ALL FIRM SIZES

• #1 Hawaii 96.8%

WORKER ACCESS TO ESI OFFER, 2016

• In 2016, Hawaii had the highest proportion of employees with an offer of insurance (96.8%), and Montana had the lowest proportion (66.2%).
• Note: Hawaii has a broad employer mandate that preceded the ACA. The Hawaii Prepaid Health Care Act, enacted in 1974, requires private employers to provide health insurance for employees who work at least 20 hours (some exceptions apply).

PERCENT OF WORKERS IN ESTABLISHMENTS OFFERING COVERAGE WHO WERE ELIGIBLE FOR COVERAGE, ALL FIRM SIZES

• #5 Hawaii 80.0%

PERCENT OF ESI-ELIGIBLE WORKERS ENROLLED IN COVERAGE, ALL FIRM SIZES TOP FIVE STATES

• #1. Hawaii 80.4%
• Among the states, Hawaii had the highest rate of take-up in 2016 (80.4%), while New Mexico had the lowest rate (68.4%).

EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTION FOR SINGLE COVERAGE PREMIUMS, ALL FIRM SIZES LOWEST CONTRIBUTION

• #1. Hawaii 12.0%
• The employee contribution for single coverage premiums ranged from a low of 12.0% in Hawaii to a high of 27.3% in Alabama in 2016.

STATE VARIATION IN ESI PREMIUM CHANGES, 2015–2016

• Five states had statistically significant increases in single coverage premiums, and all were greater than 5%. 
• 5th Place -- Hawaii $341
• US Avg -- $138

PDF: Hawaii State Profile

UPI: High-deductible health plans on the rise, now nearly 25 million

Average deductibles for single plans ranged from a low of $988 in Hawaii to a high of $2,434 in New Hampshire. New Hampshire also had the highest percentage of workers enrolled in high-deductible health plans (69 percent) while Hawaii had the lowest (about 12 percent).