Why Your Raise Is Finally Beating the Cost of Health Insurance

On this episode of Wages and Prices, Lucas and Luna dive into a quiet shift in the U.S. economy: wages are finally outpacing health insurance premiums. With the employment cost index for wages up to 179 in the first quarter and average hourly earnings at $37.60, private-sector premium growth has slowed to a crawl. Lucas breaks down the latest Kaiser Family Foundation data showing family premiums up just 3 percent this year, the smallest jump in a decade, while core inflation sits at 3.3 percent. Luna digs into why this is happening—telehealth expansion, generic drug pricing, and employers shifting to high-deductible plans—and what it means for your take-home pay. They also touch on the broader context: the Fed's divided stance and why this wage-vs-premium gap matters for your purchasing power. If you've ever felt like your raise disappears the moment your new plan kicks in, this episode explains why that might finally be changing. #HealthInsurance #WagesAndPrices #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Economics #WageGrowth #PremiumCosts #KaiserFamilyFoundation #EmploymentCostIndex #Inflation #PurchasingPower #CostOfLiving #LaborMarket #HealthcareCosts #FedPolicy #CoreInflation #PayRaises #FinancialWellness Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo