According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the cost of employer-provided health insurance rose nine percent in 2011. Employers were already having a hard time paying health insurance premiums for employees in 2010, and they are finding that prospect that much more difficult this year. Sometimes, the cost of providing health care is almost as high as the cost of providing an employee with an annual income. Currently, the average annual premium for a family covered by an employer is at an all-time high of $15,073.

This high cost makes it that much less likely that employers will provide coverage for workers. The consequences of this can be devastating, for health insurance is far costlier for an individual than it is for an employer. Some families not on employer-provided health insurance pay upwards of $25,000 a year. The same people paying these exorbitant rates are usually those in low-wage jobs or even unemployed. As such, they end up paying the cost of health care out of their savings until they can't pay for health care at all. At that point, these same people either apply for Medicaid or go without insurance at all.

The cause of the surge in health insurance premiums is unknown. Some people point to the Obama health care plan. They feel that insurers are simply raising rates in anticipation of 2012, when any increase above ten percent will have to be accounted for. They also point to increased costs due to the requirement permitting having adult children on insurance until the age of 26.

Others argue that the cost of health care would have increased even more without the new health care legislation. After all, the aging of the baby boomer population has already contributed to greater costs in health insurance. As the population ages, chronic diseases increase. Chronic diseases can be especially expensive for health care providers. Other costs associated with increased health insurance premiums include research, new medications and rapidly advancing technology.

Both sides of the debate remain polarized, but they do agree on one thing: the cost of health care will not decrease substantially until the population is healthier. One way to keep people healthier is to provide greater preventative measures. While the upfront cost for more testing may seem expensive, the long term savings are significant. Another way to improve the nation's health and decrease health insurance costs is to promote good lifestyle choices. The long term cost of obesity and smoking can be devastating for a family and society.

Unfortunately, there is no quick fix to decreasing the cost of health care. It will take a healthier population and greater cooperation between government and business.