Health insurance premiums paid by Iowa employers increased by an average of 13 percent from 2009 to 2010, according to the 2010 Iowa Employer Benefits Study released this morning.

The study, conducted by David P. Lind & Associates, an employee benefits consulting and research firm in Clive, measures increases in companies’ premiums prior to annual adjustments they made to their plans.

According to the survey, which included responses from nearly 1,000 companies with two or more employees, the total average monthly premiums for all medical plans offered by Iowa employers were $399 for single coverage and $1,064 for family. Employees with single coverage were asked to pay more than $68 per month, while employees with family coverage contributed an average of $347 per month.

The average single deductible for medical plans in 2010 increased to $1,247 and the average family deductible rose to $2,644.

In the 12 years the study has been conducted, employee contributions have increased by 84 percent for single coverage and 96 percent for family coverage. By comparison, Iowa Workforce Development shows the average weekly wage for all industries in Iowa increased by only 33 percent in the same period.

In addition to increasing premiums and employee contributions, companies also reported that they: increased prescription drug copayments (14 percent); changed insurance companies (9 percent); reduced pay raises or bonuses (11 percent); and began wellness programs (more than 7 percent).  As in prior studies, fewer than 1 percent of employers reported dropping health insurance coverage.

The 2010 study also indicated that the majority of respondents are not supportive of the health reform law that was passed in March. According to the survey, 85 percent of employers said they did not believe the reforms will help to control health-care costs and keep health insurance costs lower. Only 11.3 percent of employers said they “greatly” support the reform passed in March, while 21.4 percent were “moderately” supportive.

 “As evidenced by our study results, employers in all size categories and all industries appear to be quite skeptical about health reform curtailing runaway health-care costs for the foreseeable future,” said David Lind, the firm’s president.