Health Care Costs by year

Anthem agreed to buy rival health insurer Cigna in the second proposed industry mega-merger in just three weeks. There is a division over whether a rapid consolidation in the industry will help or hurt consumers, but there is no disagreement about what has happened to health care costs in recent years.

The average worker contribution to premiums for family coverage on an annual basis.

1999: $1,543

2000: $1,619

2001: $1,787

2002: $2,137

2003: $2,412

2004: $2,661

2005: $2,713

2006: $2,973

2007: $3,281

2008: $3,354

2009: $3,515

2010: $3,997

2011: $4,129

2012: $4,316

2013: $4,565

2014: $4,823

Data provided by The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation