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Americans who get health insurance through their employers are finding their coverage unaffordable as out-of-pocket expenses have outpaced earnings over the past decade, according to a new study, which shows Floridians were especially hard hit. Florida was one of the nine most expensive states for premium contributions, which equated to 8% or more of the median income in 2018, according to a study released Thursday by the Commonwealth Fund, a New York-based nonprofit that advocates for expanded health insurance coverage. (Conarck, 11/21)

Californians who get health insurance through their jobs are having to spend a greater share of their paychecks on health care costs, according to a new analysis of employer-sponsored health plans to be released Thursday by the Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit foundation that researches health industry trends. California workers went from spending 8% of their income on health insurance premiums and deductibles in 2008, about $4,100, to nearly 12% of their income on premiums and deductibles in 2018, about $6,900. (Ho, 11/20)

The sums Virginians spend on health insurance through their employers are higher and have climbed faster than the national average, a new study shows — even as employers pay a lower share here than in other states. Typical out-of-pocket costs for employer-provided health insurance rose by 7.1% in Virginia over the past two years to reach $8,143, according to data compiled by The Commonwealth Fund, a century-old foundation that aims to improve health care in the United States. That’s the sixth highest total in the nation. (Ress, 11/21)

In Maine, the average employee’s out-of-pocket costs – a combination of premiums, copays and deductibles – surged from $4,670 in 2008 to $7,879 in 2018, according to the report by the New York City-based The Commonwealth Fund. Across the United States, average employee costs rose from $4,160 in 2008 to $7,388, an increase of 78 percent. (Lawlor, 11/21)