Employment-based health benefits are the most common form of health insurance for nonpoor, nonelderly (those below age 65) individuals and workers in the United States. In 2005, 63.1 percent of workers were covered by an employment-based health plan from their own employer, 14.9 percent had coverage through an employer as a dependent, and 17 percent were uninsured. Among workers eligible for health benefits, 84.2 percent were covered by their employer, 9.8 percent had coverage through an employer as a dependent, and 4.8 percent were uninsured.

Even with the ebb and flow of health care coverage due to economic trends, the percentage of workers offered coverage and the percentage of workers taking coverage when offered have remained steady since as far back as the late 1980s.

• Employment-Based Benefits: Access and Coverage, 1988-2005