The cost of health care coverage continues to rise for employers and their workers. According to an annual report, the rate of increase isn't as dire as in the past, but companies and employees are still forced with tough decisions in the face of rising premiums.

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The 2014 Employer Health Benefits Survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation/Health Research & Educational Trust found average premiums for employer-sponsored family coverage reached $16,834, representing a 3 percent jump from last year.

Workers, on average, cover an estimated $4,800 of the tab.

"Premiums are growing at a modest pace," said Matthew Rae, co-author of the report and senior health policy analyst with the Kaiser Family Foundation.

In the past five years, according to the survey, premiums increased by 26 percent, compared to 34 percent during the five years prior.

Worker-only coverage, meanwhile, did not show much of a change in the 2014 survey. Annual premiums stand at $6,025, of which about 80 percent is covered by the employer.

Rae noted higher costs mean more expenses for employers, and in many cases, those expenses are passed on to workers who are forced to trade off wages to obtain health coverage.

Christine Stearns, vice president of the New Jersey Business & Industry Association, said the cost of coverage is a major concern for employers, but businesses are committed to providing coverage to their workers.

"It is an important benefit to their employees, and they work very hard to avoid cutting those benefits," Stearns said.

The report also cited a continued spike in the cost of deductibles, which typically must be paid by workers before coverage kicks in for most services. Since 2009, the average has risen 47 percent to $1,217. Eighty percent of covered workers face this deductible, the report said.

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