By Nicole Walton
UNDATED – Michigan workers are paying more than the rest of the country for less health coverage. That's the finding of Families USA, a national organization for health care consumers. Executive Director Ron Pollack says between 2000 and 2007, premiums for family health coverage provided through the workplace increased 78 percent, from $6,817 to $12,151. In the same period, the median earnings for Michigan workers rose only 4.6 percent, from $25,910 to $27,096. He says at the same time, workers were receiving less coverage in their policies.
Pollack says in the past seven years the portion of health insurance paid by state employers rose 63 percent, while the part paid by workers went up nearly 171 percent. He says Michigan has the worst ratio of premiums rising in comparison to earnings in the nation.
There are almost 1.1 million uninsured residents in Michigan.