Life and health insurers paid $1.05 trillion in benefits in the U.S. in 2022, including death and annuity claims. At the same time, insurers paid 98.7% of individual life claims within 14 days, while denied claims totaled 2.1% in 2022. The industry’s numbers reflect both fast payout performance and the ongoing cost pressures behind claims.
Key Takeaways
- U.S. life insurers' combined ratio for individual life was 92.4% in 2022
- U.S. employer-sponsored health insurance premiums increased 5.1% for family coverage in 2023 to $23,968 annually
- In 2022, the U.S. life insurance industry wrote $15.3 billion in new annualized premium for individual life insurance policies
- In 2022, 56% of U.S. adults aged 44-49 owned individual life insurance, the highest rate among age groups
- Uninsured rate among U.S. nonelderly adults was 10.1% in 2022
Life insurance statistics show steady demand and rising coverage needs as people plan for longer lifespans.
Related reading
01 · Category
Claims and Payouts26 stats
01
U.S. life insurers' combined ratio for individual life was 92.4% in 2022
02
Total U.S. life insurance benefits paid reached $1.05 trillion in 2022, including death and annuity benefits
03
Health insurance claims in the U.S. averaged $12,000per hospital stay in 2022
04
U.S. life insurers paid out 98.7% of individual life claims within 14 days in 2022
05
Medicare fee-for-service spending per enrollee was $13,755in 2022
06
Average U.S. life insurance claim size for death benefits was $145,000in 2022
07
Denied life insurance claims rate was 2.1% in U.S. in 2022, mainly for misrepresentation
08
Long-term care insurance benefits paid totaled $13.8 billion in 2022 for 400,000 claimants
09
U.S. accident and health insurers incurred $920 billion in claims and benefits in 2022
10
Group health insurance loss ratio averaged 85.2% in U.S. employer plans in 2022
11
Cancer accounted for 22% of U.S. individual life insurance claims in 2022
12
Average disability insurance claim duration was 2.8 years in U.S. 2022 data
13
U.S. annuity payout ratio was 92% of premiums collected in 2022
14
Heart disease caused 28% of U.S. life insurance payouts in 2022
15
Health insurance medical loss ratio (MLR) for U.S. individual market was 82.3% in 2022
16
U.S. life settlement claim payouts averaged 25% of face value in 2022 transactions
17
COVID-19 related life insurance claims totaled $6.5 billion in U.S. through 2022
18
Average hospital claim reimbursement under U.S. health insurance was $45,000for surgical stays in 2022
19
Disability claims incidence rate was 0.45% for U.S. group LTD policies in 2022
20
U.S. Medicare Advantage plans had 88% average star rating compliance for claims processing in 2023
21
Prescription drug claims under U.S. employer health plans averaged $1,242per employee in 2022
22
Fraudulent health insurance claims cost U.S. insurers $80 billion annually in 2022 estimates
23
U.S. life insurers' return on equity was 12.4% in 2022
24
Average recovery rate for contested U.S. life claims was 15% after appeals in 2022
25
Mental health claims under U.S. health insurance rose 20% to 12% of total claims in 2022
26
U.S. group life claims payout ratio was 75% of premiums in 2022
Interpretation
Claims and Payouts Interpretation
Despite the comforting reliability of paying out over a trillion dollars in benefits with impressive speed and efficiency, the industry’s tight financial ratios and the sobering prevalence of diseases like cancer and heart disease in claims remind us that this business is built on the very human, and often costly, certainty of mortality and misfortune.
02 · Category
Health Insurance Specifics26 stats
01
U.S. employer-sponsored health insurance premiums increased 5.1% for family coverage in 2023 to $23,968 annually
02
Medicare spending accounted for 21% of total U.S. national health expenditures in 2022 at $944 billion
03
Average out-of-pocket maximum for single coverage in U.S. employer plans was $3,992in 2023
04
Medicaid paid for 49% of U.S. long-term care spending in 2022, totaling $225 billion
05
91% of U.S. employer-sponsored health plans offered prescription drug coverage in 2023
06
Dental coverage was provided by 74% of U.S. employer health plans for single coverage in 2023
07
Vision coverage included in 81% of U.S. employer-sponsored health plans in 2023
08
Average U.S. individual Marketplace health insurance premium before subsidies was $7,246annually in 2023
09
High-deductible health plans (HDHPs) enrolled 29% of U.S. employer-covered workers in 2023
10
Telehealth utilization in U.S. employer plans was available to 97% of covered workers in 2023
11
Average hospital inpatient admission cost covered by U.S. health insurance was $2,883per day in 2022
12
Short-term limited duration insurance (STLDI) enrollment grew 50% to 3 million in 2022 in the U.S.
13
Average employee contribution for family health coverage was 29% or $6,575 in U.S. employer plans in 2023
14
Medicare Part D prescription drug spending reached $109 billion in 2022
15
PPO plans covered 48% of U.S. employer-insured workers in 2023
16
HMO enrollment among employer plans dropped to 13% in 2023 from 18% in 2018
17
Average annual deductible for single HDHP/SOAP coverage was $2,004in 2023 U.S. employer plans
18
64% of U.S. employer plans required prior authorization for specialty drugs in 2023
19
CHIP (Children's Health Insurance Program) covered 9.1 million children in FY 2022
20
Average cost-sharing for primary care office visits was $25copay in U.S. employer plans in 2023
21
TRICARE covered 9.3 million beneficiaries in 2022
22
42% of U.S. employer plans offered Health Savings Account (HSA) eligibility in 2023
23
Individual health insurance exchange enrollment subsidies averaged $5,919per enrollee in 2023
24
Long-term care insurance claims averaged $50,000annually per claimant in 2022 U.S. data
25
55% of U.S. adults aged 18-64 were covered by employer-sponsored health insurance in 2022
26
Average premium for Medicare Part B was $170.10per month in 2023 for 63 million enrollees
Interpretation
Health Insurance Specifics Interpretation
While Americans navigate an employer-sponsored gauntlet of soaring premiums, deductibles, and prior authorizations, they can at least take solace in the fact that their telehealth appointment to complain about it will probably be covered.
03 · Category
Industry Size and Growth30 stats
01
In 2022, the U.S. life insurance industry wrote $15.3 billion in new annualized premium for individual life insurance policies
02
Global life and health insurance direct premiums written reached $2.8 trillion in 2022, marking a 4.2% increase from 2021
03
The U.S. health insurance market size was valued at $1.47 trillion in 2023 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 6.1% from 2024 to 2030
04
Life insurance penetration rate in the U.S. stood at 52% of adults owning a policy in 2023, down from 60% in 2013
05
The global health insurance market was valued at $1.2 trillion in 2022 and expected to reach $2.3 trillion by 2030 at a CAGR of 8.5%
06
U.S. individual life insurance new premium sales increased by 12% in 2022 to $14.7 billion
07
Employer-sponsored health insurance covered 155 million Americans in 2022, representing 49% of the population
08
Term life insurance accounted for 41% of new U.S. individual life policy sales in 2022 with 5.2 million policies issued
09
The Asia-Pacific region dominated the global life insurance market with 45% share in 2022, driven by China and India
10
U.S. group life insurance in force totaled $9.2 trillion in 2022, covering 175 million lives
11
Medicaid enrollment peaked at 94 million in 2022, accounting for 29% of U.S. health coverage
12
Global reinsurance for life and health insurance grew by 3.1% to $284 billion in premiums in 2022
13
U.S. Medicare Advantage enrollment reached 30.8 million in 2023, up 89% since 2016
14
Individual annuity sales in the U.S. hit a record $385.6 billion in 2022
15
The European life insurance market premiums grew by 2.8% to €1.1 trillion in 2022
16
U.S. accident and health insurance premiums written totaled $1.1 trillion in 2022
17
Whole life insurance face amount in force in the U.S. was $13.8 trillion in 2022
18
Marketplace enrollment under the ACA hit 16.3 million in 2023, a record high
19
Global life insurance new business annual premium equivalent (APE) grew 5% to $300 billion in 2022
20
U.S. health insurance premiums per enrollee averaged $7,739for employer plans in 2023, up 7% from 2022
21
Indexed universal life (IUL) sales in the U.S. reached $11.2 billion in new annualized premiums in 2022
22
In 2022, 54% of Americans had private health insurance, primarily employer-sponsored
23
The U.S. long-term care insurance market saw $13.5 billion in premiums in 2022
24
Global health insurance premiums grew 7.2% in real terms in 2022 to $2.0 trillion
25
U.S. group health insurance enrollment was 114 million in 2022
26
Variable universal life sales dropped 25% to $1.8 billion in 2022 in the U.S.
27
Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policies covered 12 million enrollees in 2022
28
The Canadian life insurance market premiums reached CAD 80 billion in 2022, up 6%
29
U.S. dental insurance premiums written were $160 billion in 2022
30
Final expense life insurance sales in the U.S. totaled $2.8 billion in new premiums in 2022
Interpretation
Industry Size and Growth Interpretation
While the global life and health insurance industry quietly amasses trillions, the reality in the U.S. is a bittersweet cocktail of soaring premiums, record annuity sales, and a troublingly shrinking number of adults who actually own a life policy, proving we're better at funding the future than securing it.
More related reading
04 · Category
Life Insurance Specifics25 stats
01
In 2022, 56% of U.S. adults aged 44-49 owned individual life insurance, the highest rate among age groups
02
Term life insurance policies in the U.S. had an average face amount of $192,000for new policies in 2022
03
Whole life insurance accounted for 27% of new individual life premium sales in the U.S. in 2022 at $4.0 billion
04
The average duration of U.S. term life policies sold in 2022 was 22 years
05
Indexed universal life represented 38% of U.S. individual life new annualized premium in 2022
06
Lapse rates for U.S. individual life insurance averaged 4.8% in 2022, down from 5.2% in 2021
07
Universal life insurance in force in the U.S. totaled $7.5 trillion face amount in 2022
08
72% of U.S. millionaires own life insurance, compared to 52% of the general population in 2023
09
Group term life insurance covered 80% of U.S. workers with employer-sponsored plans in 2022, averaging 1.2 times salary
10
The average age of new U.S. whole life policyholders was 45 years in 2022
11
Variable life insurance sales in the U.S. fell 18% to $1.2 billion in new annualized premiums in 2022
12
41 million U.S. households had no life insurance coverage in 2023, creating a $19.4 trillion protection gap
13
Simplified issue term life policies grew 15% in U.S. sales volume in 2022
14
Corporate-owned life insurance (COLI) assets totaled $24 billion in the U.S. in 2022
15
The average U.S. term life premium for a 30-year-old female non-smoker was $26per month for $500,000 coverage in 2023
16
Buy-sell life insurance policies funded 25% of U.S. small business succession plans in 2022
17
U.S. life insurers paid $48.5 billion in individual life insurance benefits in 2022
18
No-lapse guarantee universal life (NLGUL) sales increased 22% to $3.1 billion in 2022 in the U.S.
19
In 2022, employer-sponsored group universal life had $1.2 trillion in face amount in force in the U.S.
20
Average U.S. life expectancy at birth was 76.4 years in 2022, influencing life insurance pricing
21
28% of U.S. life insurance policies lapsed within the first three years in 2022 studies
22
Supplemental term sales in the U.S. reached 2.1 million policies in 2022
23
U.S. life settlement market paid out $4.1 billion for policies with $11.7 billion face amount in 2022
24
Preferred risk class accounted for 52% of new U.S. individual life policies issued in 2022
25
Employer-provided life insurance coverage rate was 60% among U.S. private sector workers in 2022
Interpretation
Life Insurance Specifics Interpretation
In the grand gamble of American life, where over 40 million households bet on immortality and lose, the data reveals a nation where peak midlife pragmatism—with 56% of 44-49-year-olds getting insured—meets a sobering $19.4 trillion chasm of what's left unsaid and unfunded when the final bill comes due.
05 · Category
Policyholder Demographics25 stats
01
Uninsured rate among U.S. nonelderly adults was 10.1% in 2022
02
62% of U.S. life insurance owners are married, compared to 50% of non-owners, per 2023 LIMRA data
03
Women represent 52% of U.S. individual life insurance policyholders in 2022
04
Homeowners are 2.5 times more likely to own life insurance than renters in the U.S., 2023 data
05
48% of U.S. Gen Z adults (18-25) own life insurance, up from 37% in 2021
06
College graduates in the U.S. have a 68% life insurance ownership rate vs. 41% for non-grads in 2023
07
65% of U.S. parents with minor children own life insurance, compared to 44% without kids, 2023
08
Black Americans have a 44% life insurance ownership rate vs. 54% for whites in 2023 U.S. data
09
Hispanic U.S. adults own life insurance at 47% rate, with 60% citing affordability as barrier, 2023
10
73% of U.S. adults aged 30-49 with household income over $100k own life insurance, 2023
11
Self-employed Americans own life insurance at 61% rate vs. 51% for employees, 2023 LIMRA
12
39% of U.S. unmarried partner households own life insurance, lower than 59% married, 2023
13
Baby Boomers (56-74) have 62% life insurance ownership in U.S., highest among generations, 2023
14
27% of U.S. low-income households (<$35k) own life insurance vs. 70% high-income, 2023
15
Urban U.S. residents own life insurance at 55% vs. 48% rural, per 2023 data
16
58% of U.S. Millennials have employer-provided group life insurance, 2023 KFF data
17
Women with children under 18 own life insurance at 64% rate in U.S., 2023
18
45% of U.S. Asian Americans own life insurance, citing family protection as top reason, 2023
19
Households with mortgages own life insurance at 68% rate in U.S., 2023 LIMRA
20
51% of U.S. adults aged 25-29 own life insurance, primarily term, 2023 data
21
Retirees in U.S. maintain life insurance at 49% ownership rate for legacy planning, 2023
22
67% of U.S. business owners with employees own life insurance, 2023
23
Single women in U.S. own life insurance at 46% vs. 52% for single men, 2023 LIMRA
24
59% of U.S. households in the Northeast own life insurance, highest regionally, 2023
25
LGBTQ+ Americans own life insurance at 53% rate, motivated by family security, 2023
Interpretation
Policyholder Demographics Interpretation
While life insurance ownership paints a vivid portrait of American responsibility—tying itself to marriage, mortgages, and milestones—the stubbornly uninsured remind us that for many, this safety net still feels like a luxury woven from privilege rather than a common thread of security.
Reference
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APA
Alexander Schmidt. (2026, February 13). Life Health Insurance Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/life-health-insurance-industry-statistics
MLA
Alexander Schmidt. "Life Health Insurance Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/life-health-insurance-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Alexander Schmidt. 2026. "Life Health Insurance Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/life-health-insurance-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
21 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level