Thought inflation was bad? Health insurance premiums are rising even faster
- Kirk Vartan pays over $2,000 monthly for a high-deductible health plan from Blue Shield on Covered California, highlighting the struggle of many Californians with rising health insurance premiums.
- Premiums for families with employer-provided coverage in California nearly doubled from about $1,000 in 2008 to almost $2,000 in 2023, which is more than twice the rate of inflation.
- California aims to control health care costs by establishing an Office of Health Care Affordability, targeting annual spending growth to 3.5% by 2024 and 3% by 2029.
25 Articles
25 Articles

Thought inflation was bad? Health insurance premiums are rising even faster
By Phillip Reese, KFF Health News Kirk Vartan pays more than $2,000 a month for a high-deductible health insurance plan from Blue Shield on Covered California, the state’s Affordable Care Act marketplace. He could have selected a cheaper plan from a different provider, but he wanted one that includes his wife’s doctor. “It’s for the two of us, and we’re not sick,” said Vartan, general manager at A Slice of New York pizza shops in the Bay Area ci…
'Ridiculous': Anger grows as health insurance premiums rise even faster than inflation
Kirk Vartan pays more than $2,000 a month for a high-deductible health insurance plan from Blue Shield on Covered California, the state’s Affordable Care Act marketplace. He could have selected a cheaper plan from a different provider, but he wanted one that includes his wife’s doctor. “It’s for the two of us, and we’re not sick,” said Vartan, general manager at A Slice of New York pizza shops in the Bay Area cities of San Jose and Sunnyvale. “I…


Thought Inflation Was Bad? Health Insurance Premiums Are Rising Even Faster
Kirk Vartan pays more than $2,000 a month for a high-deductible health insurance plan from Blue Shield on Covered California, the state’s Affordable Care Act marketplace. He could have selected a cheaper plan from a different provider, but he wanted one that includes his wife’s doctor. “It’s for the two of us, and we’re not sick,” said Vartan, general manager at A Slice of New York pizza shops in the Bay Area cities of San Jose and Sunnyvale. “I…
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