Objective:

The article reports findings from KFF’s 2026 Employer Health Benefits Survey, including worker contributions to family premiums, total premiums, employer cost-sharing changes, deductibles, and selected benefit coverage.

Approach:

• Survey: KFF’s 28th annual national survey included more than 1,900 employers with at least 10 workers.
• Coverage context: Employer-sponsored insurance covers nearly 157 million Americans younger than 65.

Key Findings:

• Workers contributed an average of $7,471 annually toward family premiums in 2026, up $621 (9%) from 2025.
• At small firms, workers’ average annual family contribution was $9,687, $2,847 more than at large firms.
• Average total annual family premiums, including employer contributions, reached $28,303, up $1,310 (5%) from 2025.
• From 2021, family premiums rose 28% and worker contributions 26%; wages rose 27% and inflation 24%. From 2025, wages rose 3.7% and inflation 2.7%.
• Among large employers, 44% increased workers’ premium contributions and 21% raised deductibles or other cost-sharing for most services.
• For workers with an annual deductible for single coverage, the average was $1,955. It averaged $2,624 at small firms and $1,772 at large firms.
• Among large firms, 18% covered GLP-1 drugs for weight loss. Of firms with this coverage, 27% reported a moderate effect on prescription spending and 29% a significant effect.
• IVF coverage was offered by 27% of large firms, unchanged since 2024.

Interpretation:

KFF President and CEO Drew Altman said the 9% increase in workers’ family-premium contributions should be added to reasons voters are deeply concerned about health care costs.

Limitations:

• The provided article context does not include the survey’s detailed methodology, response rate, or uncertainty estimates.

Conclusion:

The survey reports higher average worker contributions and total family premiums in 2026, alongside variation by employer size and changes in selected benefit costs and coverage.