Atlanta Health Insurance: Geography Influences Cost

Comparing health insurance costs among the nation’s largest cities and other geographical areas, Including Atlanta, GA. This new metropolitan area data table developed by HHS’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality provides comparable statistics on average annual costs for companies and workers contributing to private-sector health insurance.

The estimates show large geographical variations in how much Americans pay for family coverage and individual coverage as well as how much employers contribute to workers’ health insurance premiums. Atlanta residents pay health insurance that fall in the middle, but now we know that the quality of health care can vary significantly according to geography.

For family health insurance plans, Seattle workers contributed the most (an average $3,299 per year). New York City-area workers contributed the least for family coverage ($1,851).

Average premiums for family coverage were highest in New York ($11,244) and lowest ($8,521) in the Riverside, California metro area, which includes San Bernardino and Ontario.

For individual coverage, Boston workers paid the most ($867). Workers in Riverside paid the least ($449).

Premiums for single coverage were highest in San Francisco ($4,185) and lowest in Riverside, ($3,012).

The data include statistical averages from the following cities and surrounding areas: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas-Fort Worth, Miami, Houston, Washington, DC, Detroit, Boston, San Francisco, Riverside, Phoenix, Seattle, Minneapolis, San Diego, St. Louis, Baltimore and Tampa. Atlanta health insurance cost were included in the data.

The database also provides comparisons within states. For example, in the northern and central counties of New Jersey and part of the New Jersey shore, workers contributed an average of $1,676 for family coverage. But in areas of New Jersey further from New York City, such as Atlantic City and Camden, workers contributed an average $3,079 – 84 percent more.

The employer-based insurance data from AHRQ’s Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Insurance Component are updated annually.