NU Online News Service, Jan. 14, 2004, 5:23 p.m. EST – Large U.S. employers spent about $20.6 billion on retiree health benefits in 2003, up 13.7% from the 2002 spending level, according to survey results released by the Washington office of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.[@@]
For retirees under age 65, retiree contributions increased 20%, to an average of $166 per month.
Average retiree contributions for retirees who were at least 65 increased 18%, to $83.