Excerpt: The increased cost of health insurance is a central fact in any discussion of health policy and health delivery. As annual premiums surge above $12,000 for an average family, costs are blamed for rising uninsured and 'under-insurance.' For those Americans who are fully-covered, these cost realities affect employers, both large and small, not to mention the 'pocket-book impact' on ordinary families. In 2008 the average fully insured individual faced an employee share of $725 for 1-person coverage and a $3,983 annual share for family coverage.

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