For the second year in a row, companies are seeing percentage increases in their health- care premiums measure in the single digits rather than the double digits absorbed earlier in the decade, according to a new survey of firms in the Tri-State region.

The survey released yesterday by Pittsburgh-based Cowden Associates also showed that employers are finding other ways to manage costs "aside from just transferring costs off their plate onto the employees' plate," said Vincent Wolf, executive vice president at the consulting firm.

Employers in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia saw premiums rise an average of 6.3 percent this year, vs. 9 percent in 2006, according to the poll. That compares with average annual increases ranging from 12.8 percent to 15 percent during the previous four years.

The survey included 335 employers, 170 of them in southwestern Pennsylvania.

Although the survey indicates health-care premiums are moderating, this year's increase was still almost twice the rate of inflation, Mr. Wolf noted.

The average monthly premium for medical and prescription drug coverage for a family was $962 per month, while the average cost for individual coverage was $328. That was up about 50 percent since Cowden's first survey in 2002.

Monthly premiums among for-profit employers were below the average -- $898 for a family -- while government employers reported the highest premiums, averaging $1,112 for a family.

Despite the higher costs, government workers were the most likely to enjoy no-cost medical benefits, the survey showed. Nearly 60 percent of government employers paid 100 percent of the premiums for individual employees and 55 percent picked up the full tab for family coverage.

Overall, almost 25 percent of employers polled paid the full cost of individual coverage, while 19 percent paid the full amount for family coverage.

Among companies that required workers to contribute to health-care coverage, employees paid an average of 20 percent of their individual premiums and 26 percent for family coverage.

Over the last two years, fewer companies have been shifting health-care costs to workers through higher premiums, deductibles and co-pays, Mr. Wolf said.

"That's not the way employers are choosing to manage costs right now," he said.

The latest strategies include offering wellness programs aimed at improving overall employee health and offering high-deductible plans paired with Health Reimbursement Accounts or Health Savings Accounts, often partially funded by company contributions, Mr. Wolf said.

"Employee medical benefit policies are often considered [one of] the most important factors in hiring and retaining talented employees, so it's critical to strike the right balance," Chief Executive Officer Jere Cowden said.

Area employers should use the survey data to benchmark themselves with the competition, he said.

Preferred provider organization, or PPO, plans were the most prevalent benefit program in the region, offered by 73 percent of employers, according to the survey.

The median annual deductible for PPO programs ranged from $200 to $299 per individual and $400 to $599 per family.

The most common prescription drug program was a two-tier plan with average co-payments of $13 for generic drugs and $25 for brand name drugs.

Roughly 20 percent of those surveyed offered coverage for domestic partners.