Northwest labor press., October 03, 2008, Page 9, Image 9

OCT. 3, 2008
corrected copy:NWLP
9/30/08
12:04 PM
Page 9
Health insurance premiums rise
Insurance rates in the
United States have risen
119 percent since 1999
Health insurance premiums rose
again this year — 5 percent, ac-
cording to the annual Employer
Health Benefits Survey conducted
by the Kaiser Family Foundation
and the Health Research & Educa-
tional Trust.
The average premium for em-
ployer-sponsored health insurance
was $4,704 for individual coverage
and $12,680 for family coverage as
of early 2008. That’s a 119 percent
increase over what it was when the
annual survey began in 1999 —
$5,791. During the same nine-year
period, workers’ wages went up
just 34 percent, while general infla-
tion rose 29 percent. So health in-
surance premiums have risen at
more than triple the rate of wages
and inflation the last decade.
But the premium increases have
slowed lately. Premiums went up
10 to 13 percent every year from
2000 to 2004, but annual increases
have been under 6 percent the last
three years. This year, with infla-
tion raising prices on most items,
premiums paid by employers went
up only about the rate of overall in-
flation. And this year’s 5 percent
increase was the smallest found
since the survey began.
Still, workers’ share of the pre-
mium is taking a bite out of pay-
checks. It now averages $3,334 —
more than double what workers
paid nine years ago. Covered
workers are now paying 16 percent
of the cost of individual coverage
and 27 percent of the cost of family
coverage, on average.
All told, 63 percent of employ-
ers offer health benefits, though
that varies by the size of the busi-
ness. Just 49 percent of firms with
three to nine employees offer
health coverage, while 95 percent
of firms with 50 or more employ-
ees do so. And 99 percent of union-
ized employers offer health cover-
age, while just 60 percent of
non-union employers do.
The number of employers who
offer retiree health insurance con-
tinued to drop also: 31 percent of
large firms (200 or more workers)
offer retiree health benefits this
year, less than half the 66 percent
who did so in 1988.
And the future looks worse: 6
percent of employers who offer
health benefits said they are likely
to drop coverage in the next year.
And 40 percent said they are likely
to increase the amount workers
contribute to premiums; 41 percent
to increase deductibles; and 45 per-
cent to increase office visit co-
pays.
The survey, released Sept. 24,
was conducted between January
and May of 2008 and included
2,832 randomly selected, non-fed-
eral public and private firms with
three or more employees. A full re-
port on the survey is available at
http://ehbs.kff.org.
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U.S. Postal Service Statement of Ownership,
Management and Circulation
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JOIN HANDS.
Required by 39 U.S.C. 3685.
1. Publication Title: Northwest Labor Press. 2. Publication No.: ISSN 0894-444X.
3. Filing Date: Sept. 19, 2008.
4. Issue Frequency: Semi-monthly basis on first and third Fridays of each month.
5. No. of Issues Published Annually: 24. 6. Annual Subscription Price: $13.75.
7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication:
4275 NE Halsey St., P.O. Box 13150, Portland, Multnomah, Oregon 97213.
8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Offices of Publisher:
4275 NE Halsey St., P.O. Box 13150, Portland, Multnomah, Oregon 97213.
9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Address of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor.
Publisher: Oregon Labor Press Publishing Co., Inc., 4275 NE Halsey St., P.O. Box 13150, Portland, Multnomah, Oregon
97213.
Editor: Michael Gutwig, 4275 NE Halsey St., P.O. Box 13150, Portland, Multnomah, Oregon 97213.
Managing Editor: Michael Gutwig, 4275 NE Halsey St., P.O. Box 13150, Portland, Multnomah, Oregon 97213.
10. Owner: Oregon Labor Press Publishing Company, Inc., (a non-profit corporation)
4275 NE Halsey St., P.O. Box 13150, Portland, Multnomah, Oregon 97213.
Shareholders owning or holding one percent or more of the total amount of shares are: Musicians Mutual Association No.
99 (Bruce Fife, trustee); IBEW Local 125 (Travis Eri, trustee); Oregon AFL-CIO (Tom Chamberlain, trustee); United Food &
Commercial Workers Local 555 (Gene Pronovost, chair); Northwest Oregon Labor Council (Judy O’Connor, vice president);
Label Trades Section, Northwest Oregon Labor Council (Judy O’Connor); UNITE HERE Local 9 (Karly Edwards, trustee);
Allied Printing Trades Council of Portland (Patrick Philpott, trustee); Iron Workers Local 29 (Kevin Jensen, trustee); Iron
Workers Shopmen’s Local 516 (Michael Lappier trustee); Machinists District Lodge 24 (Bob Petroff, treasurer); Machinists
Lodge 63 (Pat Maloney, trustee); Millwrights Local 711 (Brian Mundy, trustee); United Association Local 290 (John Endicott,
trustee); Sheet Metal Workers Local 16 (Len Phillips, trustee); IBEW Local 48 (Ed Barnes, vice president); Office & Profes-
sional Employees Local 11 (Mike Richards, trustee); Communications Workers Local 7901 (Madelyn Elder, trustee); Auto
Mechanics Lodge 1005 (Gene McGlothlin, trustee); Columbia-Pacific Building and Construction Trades Council, (John
Mohlis, secretary).
11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of
Bonds, Mortgages or Other Securities: None.
12. Tax Status (For completion by non-profit organizations authorized to mail at non-profit rates):
The purpose, function, and non-profit status of this organization and the exempt status for Federal income tax purposes has
not changed during preceding 12 months.
13. Publication Title: Northwest Labor Press
14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: Sept. 19, 2008
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15. Extent and Nature of Circulation
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United Way of the Columbia-Willamette
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Average No. Copies
Each Issue During
Preceding 12 Months
Actual No. Copies
of Single Issue Published
Nearest to Filing Date
A. Total No. Copies (net press run) ............................................................. 57,401
B. Paid Circulation (by mail and outside the mail):
1. Mailed outside-county paid subscriptions stated on PS Form 3541.....55,258
3. Sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors and counter sales........409
C. Total Paid Distribution (Sum of 15b (1), (2), (3) and (4) ............................55,667
D. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution.........................................................................
1. Outside-county copies included on PS form 3541 ..........................................0
2. In-county copies included on PS Form 3541 ..................................................0
3. Mailed at other classes through the USPS .....................................................0
4. Outside the mail (carriers and other means)...............................................125
E. Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution .........................................................125
F. Total Distribution .....................................................................................55,792
G. Copies not Distributed ..............................................................................1,609
H. TOTAL ....................................................................................................57,401
I. Percent Paid
99.70%
45,648
44,587
331
44,918
0
0
0
125
125
45,043
605
45,648
99.80%
16. Publication of Statement of Ownership.................................................Oct. 3, 2008
17. I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and complete: Michael Gutwig, Editor
OCTOBER 3, 2008
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
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