The median premium cost per employee was $400 per month under private-sector group health insurance plans in 2010 according to a survey just released by the US Dept of Health & Human Services.  The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) is a set of large-scale surveys of families and individuals, their medical providers, and employers across the United States.  Survey findings for 2010 include:

• Total premium cost per month, per employee for single coverage was $400/mo and family coverage was $1,155.92.
• Employer pay-all plans are now only 18% of employee single coverage and 10% of family coverage with all others requiring employee contributions.
• Employees contributed 21% of the cost of their health insurance for single coverage and 27% for family coverage.
• Employer premium cost was $316.67/mo on average.
• Employee premium cost was  $74.17/mo on average.

The 2010 health insurance data for all 50 states and the District of Columbia are now available on the MEPS website. The United States spends a larger share of its gross domestic product (GDP) on health care than any other major industrialized country. Expenditures for health care represent nearly one-seventh of the Nation's GDP, and they continue to be one of the fastest growing components of the Federal budget.