Marketplace Health Plan Premiums Are Competitive with Employer-Based Coverage

With the passage of the Affordable Care Act, more Americans than ever before are signing up for health insurance. The health insurance marketplaces offer competitive premiums that, on average, are more affordable than employer-based plans. For low- and moderate-income consumers who are eligible for premium tax credits, the cost of marketplace premiums is even lower.

• The average employer plan pays for 85 percent of people’s medical expenses, on average, and costs $6,119 per year.
• The average platinum plan (the highest category of health plan in the marketplace) covers 90 percent of people’s medical expenses, on average, and only costs $6,058 per year.

The data and our infographic illustrate how marketplace plan premiums are comparable to employer-based plans.