HealthFeatureUpdated 1 hr ago

Employer health insurance costs rise, and workers pay a bigger share

Coverage spectrum

Covered by 4 outlets. No right-leaning outlet that Mantle follows has covered it yet.

4 articles in total. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

Image via The HillHow images are chosen Report this image

A new annual Employer Benefits Survey from KFF finds that employer-sponsored health insurance cost more this year. The average family plan rose about 5 percent to top $28,000, according to the survey. Employees now pay an average of 9 percent of that cost, or $7,471 a year, and workers at small firms with fewer than 200 employees contribute $9,687 on average. About 157 million Americans get coverage through work. NPR and The New York Times report that rising premiums and deductibles are shifting costs onto workers, and the Times reports that some people are skipping treatments or doctor visits as budgets tighten.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

New to Mantle? It shows who is covering each story across the political spectrum, and highlights loaded words. How to read a storyHide the guide

The coverage spectrum counts the outlets covering a story at each of five points. A short or missing segment means that part of the spectrum is mostly quiet.

Governor Loaded verb“slams”It adds drama to what was said. The governor criticized the lawmakers; “slams” makes it sound like a fight.More neutral: criticizes lawmakers over budget delay

Highlights mark words that carry a judgement. Tap one to see why, and what a neutral writer would say. Here it is “criticizes”.

The 5-point spectrum

Far Left
Voices that strongly advocate for progressive policies and systemic change.
Left
Mainstream liberal perspectives focusing on social equality and regulation.
Center
Sources that prioritize neutral reporting and balanced viewpoints.
Right
Mainstream conservative perspectives focusing on market freedom and tradition.
Far Right
Voices that strongly advocate for conservative values and limited government.

How we measure bias

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

Employer-sponsored health insurance costs rose this year, with the average family plan topping $28,000 after a rise of about 5 percent, according to KFF’s annual survey.
One side only: the centerReported byCenter2See the outletsHide the outlets
Center
The Hill, Straight Arrow News
Rising premiums and deductibles are pushing more of the cost onto workers, according to new surveys.
Across the spectrumReported byLeft2Center2See the outletsHide the outlets
Left
NPR, The New York Times
Center
The Hill, Straight Arrow News
Employees now pay an average of 9 percent of the annual cost, about $7,471 a year, according to KFF.
One outletStraight Arrow News· Center
Workers at small firms contribute an average of $9,687 a year toward their coverage, according to KFF.
One outletStraight Arrow News· Center
About 157 million Americans get health insurance through work.
Reported byLeft1Center1See the outletsHide the outlets
Left
NPR
Center
Straight Arrow News
Some people are forgoing treatments or doctor visits as costs rise, according to New York Times reporting on new surveys.
One outletThe New York Times· Left

What is contested

Where accounts differ

Points the coverage does not agree on, and who says what.

The size of this year’s rise in employer health insurance costs.
The Hill and Straight Arrow News describe costs as spiking, citing a 5 percent rise in the average family plan; NPR calls the uptick moderate.

How each side tells it

Compare views

Every side reports that employer health premiums and worker costs rose this year. Left outlets stress the squeeze on workers and cost-shifting by employers, while center outlets lead with the KFF dollar figure, one comparing it to the price of a car.

the left
2 outlets
Headlines frame the story as costs shifted onto workers, with NPR stressing a squeeze even for people with good insurance.
Employers Shift Rising Health Care Costs Onto Millions of Workers
The New York TimesLeftAll left-leaning headlines
the center
2 outlets
Headlines lead with the dollar cost of family plans and workers hit hard, while Straight Arrow News compares the price to a new car.
Workers hit hard by rising employer health insurance costs
The HillCenterAll center headlines
the right
No coverage yet
No right-leaning outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

Left0
No loaded words in its own voice.
Center3
Costs are spikingspikedSpiking
Right
Has not covered this story.

In the outlets’ own words

Sensational language
Costs are spikingMore neutral: Costs are rising
Spiking is more dramatic than the rising used by other outlets for the same survey results.
Costs are spiking for the millions of Americans who rely on workplace-sponsored health insurance,…
Used byThe Hill (Center)
Sensational language
spikedMore neutral: risen
Describes the employee share as having spiked, which implies a sudden surge rather than the change reported.
And the share of the cost that’s being passed on to employees has spiked even more.
Used byStraight Arrow News (Center)
Sensational language
SpikingMore neutral: Rising
Calls a rise of about 5 percent spiking, which suggests a sharper increase than the survey figure describes.
Spiking employer healthcare insurance costs near the price tag of a new car
Used byStraight Arrow News (Center)

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

2 outlets

Leads with

cost shifting to workers
squeeze on household budgets
workers forgoing care

Leaves out

exact average family plan cost of $28,000

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 2 headlines from the leftHide the headlines

The New York TimesLeft
Employers Shift Rising Health Care Costs Onto Millions of Workers
New surveys show that increases in premiums and deductibles are forcing people to forgo treatments or doctor’s visits while budgets are strained by higher food and gas prices.
10 hr agoRead at The New York Times (opens in a new tab)
NPRLeft
High health costs squeeze workers, even if you have good insurance through a job
About 157 million Americans get their health insurance through work. A survey of employers shows a moderate price uptick this year, but workers still say health costs are a top concern.
10 hr agoRead at NPR (opens in a new tab)

From the center

2 outlets

Leads with

dollar cost of family plans
small businesses and their employees hit hardest
rising worker contributions

See the 2 headlines from the centerHide the headlines

Straight Arrow NewsCenter
Sensational language“Spiking”Calls a rise of about 5 percent spiking, which suggests a sharper increase than the survey figure describes.More neutral: RisingDisagree with this highlight? employer healthcare insurance costs near the price tag of a new car
A new survey from KFF shows the average annual price of employer-sponsored health insurance now tops $28,000 – enough to buy a car.
1 hr agoRead at Straight Arrow News (opens in a new tab)
The HillCenter
Workers hit hard by rising employer health insurance costs
Sensational language“Costs are spiking”Spiking is more dramatic than the rising used by other outlets for the same survey results.More neutral: Costs are risingDisagree with this highlight? for the millions of Americans who rely on workplace-sponsored health insurance, according to a new survey released Thursday, with small businesses and their employees being hit especially hard. …
1 hr agoRead at The Hill (opens in a new tab)

From the right

0 outlets

No right-leaning outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

Articles you open from here build My Mix, a private picture of how your reading spreads across the spectrum, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

Left
First to report
NPR, Oct 22, 5:00 AM EDT
Center
8 hr 57 min later
Its first report, Oct 22, 1:57 PM EDT
Right
No report yet
From the outlets Mantle follows

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order

NPRLeftOct 22, 5:00 AM EDT
The New York TimesLeftOct 22, 5:03 AM EDT
The HillCenterOct 22, 1:57 PM EDT
Straight Arrow NewsCenterOct 22, 2:12 PM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

Employer health insurance costs rise, and workers pay a bigger share

Coverage spectrum

Key points

Where accounts differ

Compare views

the left

the center

the right

Language to notice

In the outlets’ own words

Side by side

From the left

Employers Shift Rising Health Care Costs Onto Millions of Workers

High health costs squeeze workers, even if you have good insurance through a job

From the center

Sensational language“Spiking”Calls a rise of about 5 percent spiking, which suggests a sharper increase than the survey figure describes.More neutral: RisingDisagree with this highlight? employer healthcare insurance costs near the price tag of a new car

Workers hit hard by rising employer health insurance costs

From the right

How the coverage built up

Read next

Calley Means, adviser to RFK Jr., resigns from Trump administration

Justice Dept. charges 15 over alleged $2 billion healthcare fraud in Southern California

Virginia Sen. L. Louise Lucas indicted on federal drug and money laundering charges

Ramaswamy campaign ad featuring Amy Acton’s estranged mother draws backlash

Rep. Ilhan Omar posts video asking supporters for donations amid federal immigration probe

Key points

Where accounts differ

Compare views

the left

the center

the right

Language to notice

In the outlets’ own words

Side by side

From the left

Employers Shift Rising Health Care Costs Onto Millions of Workers

High health costs squeeze workers, even if you have good insurance through a job

From the center

SpikingSensational language“Spiking”Calls a rise of about 5 percent spiking, which suggests a sharper increase than the survey figure describes.More neutral: RisingDisagree with this highlight? employer healthcare insurance costs near the price tag of a new car

Workers hit hard by rising employer health insurance costs

From the right

How the coverage built up

Read next

Calley Means, adviser to RFK Jr., resigns from Trump administration

Justice Dept. charges 15 over alleged $2 billion healthcare fraud in Southern California

Virginia Sen. L. Louise Lucas indicted on federal drug and money laundering charges

Ramaswamy campaign ad featuring Amy Acton’s estranged mother draws backlash

Rep. Ilhan Omar posts video asking supporters for donations amid federal immigration probe

Sensational language“Spiking”Calls a rise of about 5 percent spiking, which suggests a sharper increase than the survey figure describes.More neutral: RisingDisagree with this highlight? employer healthcare insurance costs near the price tag of a new car