Cost of employer-sponsored health care rose 3 percent this year

The average annual premium for employer-sponsored family heath coverage rose 3 percent in 2014, continuing its moderate climb higher.

The average premium for family coverage increased to $16,834, according to the 2014 Employer Health Benefits Survey released Wednesday by the Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Research & Educational Trust.

Employees’ share of the cost averaged $4,823 this year.

“The relatively slow growth in premiums this year is good news for employers and workers, though many workers now pay more when they get sick as deductibles continue to rise and skin-in-the-game insurance gradually becomes the norm,” Foundation president and CEO Drew Altman said.

Four out of five workers pay an annual deductible, which average $1,217 in 2014. The average deductible has risen 47 percent since 2009, the survey said. Slightly more than 40 percent of workers have deductibles of least $1,000; 18 percent of covered workers pay deductibles of at least $2,000