The cost of family health insurance premiums may have increased this year but such increase is being considered to be one of historic lows, this according to a new survey released recently.

The survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Heath Research & Educational Trusts showed that the employer-sponsored health insurance for a family with four members did increased to 4%. However, this increase is quite low than the rate of the increase seen in 2011 from 2010. The 2011 increase on family health insurance premiums experience a hefty jump of 9%.

According to Drew Altman, president of the Kaiser Family Foundation, “A 4% increase in health premiums is good news.” Altman said that to them who studies health costs for a very long time now considers the rate of 4% to be “strikingly low”.

Altman pointed out some reasons why there is only a low price jump for health insurance premiums. One of the factors being considered of the price slowdown is that America’s economy is still having a low recovery wherein Americans’ wages are flat and that the employees have lesser money to spend that have even resulted to more people avoiding getting medical care. Another factors being considered for the slow increase rate are the rise of high-deductible plans and other cost sharing forms.

However the study have also showed that even with the low increase rate on health insurance this year, health care is still heavy for American families. It has been known that in less than a decade, the cost of health insurance have rose to 97% which is almost three times as fast as the increase on wages and inflation.

The study reflected that lower-income families are the ones being hit hard.

In an employer-sponsored family health insurance, companies where at least 35% of their employees earn less than $24,000, these employees pay $1,000 more each year than those employees coming from companies with at least 35% of their workforce enjoys earnings of more than $55,000.