Employer-sponsored health insurance (ESI) is the main source of health coverage for non-elderly people, covering just over 60% of the US population, or 164.7 million people, according to
Peterson-KFF’s Health System Tracker
. About 80% of adult workers are employed by a business that offers ESI to at least some employees.
Private health insurance spending increased by 5.9% in 2022 (to $1.3 trillion), which was slightly slower than the increase of 6.3% in 2021, according to data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). For hospital care, physician and clinical services, and dental services, private health insurance expenditures grew more slowly in 2022 following stronger growth in 2021. Private health insurance enrollment increased 1.5%, or by 2.9 million individuals, in 2022 – the fastest increase since 2015 .
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota
is the largest provider of health coverage in North Dakota and insures and/or administers claims for over 310,000 people, the company’s website states. BCBSND is a not-for-profit mutual insurance company whose members have access to all of the hospitals in North Dakota and 99% of physicians in the state. Prairie Business spoke with leadership at BCBSND to learn how the company is addressing the ongoing increasing cost of health care and changes in the market relating to how health care is delivered.
Lacey Bergh, senior vice president of Health Delivery, said employers want to ensure their employees have health-care services that are easy to access, including wellness and prevention, and want to keep that coverage affordable.
“How do you get ahead of people developing chronic conditions is something our employer partners look for us to bring to the table,” she said. “The cost