As the cost of healthcare continues to grow. industry analysts say that the rate of expansion has started to slow.
The firm Milliman reviewed the average healthcare costs for a family of four covered by an employer-sponsored healthcare plan this year, and found an average total cost of more than $20,000.
That figure represented an increase of 6.9 percent from the year before, which is the lowest percentage jump in recent history. However, it's still a bigger rise in terms of raw dollar value than the year before.
"The average rate of increase this year dips below 7 percent for the first time since we began analyzing these costs, but the total dollar increase is still the highest we have seen," said Lorraine Mayne, principal and consulting actuary for Milliman. "This helps illustrate the challenge of controlling healthcare costs."
The firm said that the average employer covered about $12,000 as part of workers' employee benefits, while the rest of the costs were borne by consumers through either payroll deductions or out-of-pocket expenses.
The firm also found sharp differences in healthcare costs between cities. Average healthcare costs in Miami were nearly $25,000, while expenses in Phoenix were less than $18,500.
