In 2008, the average employer-sponsored family plan cost a total of $12,680, with employees footing $3,354 of the bill, according to
Kaiser data. By 2016, the cost of the average employer family plan was up to
$18,142 for the year, with workers picking up $5,277 of the tab.
These increased costs for employers and employees alike may seem steep—up around 50% over the past eight years—but they could have risen far higher had the Affordable Care Act never passed. The Kaiser study shows that average family premiums rose 20% from 2011 to 2016. That rate of increase is actually much lower than the previous five years (up 31% from 2006 to 2011) and the five years before that (up 63% from 2001 to 2006).
Here's What's Happened to Health Care Costs in America in the Obama Years