A new study is shedding light on the state of health care costs in Utah.
Our insurance premiums and out of pocket expenses are up. That has Utahns, like Dan Bammes feeling the crunch.
He’s been battling cancer for the last 15 years, and also has diabetes.
“Over the years I have, for several years maxed out on deductibles and out of pocket maximums,” said Bammes, Communications Director for the Utah Foundation.
Over those years he’s seen his premium and deductible go up, and he’s not alone.
A new study from the Utah Foundation finds big increases from 2006 to 2016.
“Premiums have also increased about 30% over the past decade, as well as deductibles,” said Research Analyst Sam Brucker.
The report finds 61% of Utahns get health insurance through their employer. That’s the highest in the country, and well above the national average of 49%.
But, it also shows those employer based plans are shifting to higher deductibles. In Utah, the average deductible for both individual and family plans nearly doubled in that time.
