Trends in Health Insurance at Private Employers, 2008–2018

Employer-sponsored insurance (ESI) is the primary source of health insurance coverage for individuals under age 65. This Statistical Brief uses data from the 2018 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey-Insurance Component (MEPS-IC) private-sector national tables to describe trends in employer coverage, premiums, and deductibles from 2008 to 2018. The MEPS-IC is an annual survey of private employers and state and local governments and is designed to be representative of all 50 states and the District of Columbia. This Statistical Brief describes trends and patterns in ESI for private-sector employees, overall and by three firm size categories: fewer than 50 employees (small firms), 50 to 99 employees (medium-sized firms), and 100 or more employees (large firms). All differences discussed in the text are at the 0.05 significance level, or better. All dollar estimates are nominal (not adjusted for inflation).