Milwaukee businesses are spending $12,691 per employee on health care benefits this year, according to a new analysis from Aon Hewitt. That’s a 5.2 percent jump from last year, but the lowest increase since 2009 when costs increased 5.1 percent, and a slowdown from last year’s 8.2 percent rate. Next year, costs are expected to grow 6.1 percent to $13,471. Meanwhile, the average employee will spend $5,238 of their own money this year on health care, including premiums and out-of-pockets costs like co-payments. That’s up 6 percent from last year, and next year the amount will grow 9 percent to $5,714.
Nationally, health care costs increased 4.9 percent to $10,522. That’s expected to rise 6.3 percent next year, just above Wisconsin’s rate of 6.1 percent. The average employee, at the national level, spent $4,404 on health care this year, but will pay $4,814, or 9 percent more, in 2013.
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