Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance Coverage in the Private Sector

Health insurance provided by employers is a key source of coverage for both employees and their families. In 2011, half of private-sector employees enrolled in employer-sponsored health insurance took single, self-only coverage and the remainder took non-single coverage (a plan covering the employee and at least one other family member). According to the Insurance Component of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS-IC), those employees with non-single coverage contributed both a larger dollar amount and a larger percentage of the total premium for their coverage than did employees with single coverage.
Non-single health insurance plans encompass two types of coverage: family coverage and
employee-plus-one coverage. When available for the same level of benefits, employee-plus-one plan premiums are less expensive than family plans. This Statistical Brief presents information on the selection and cost of single, employee-plus-one, and family health insurance coverage for current employees in the private sector in 2011.