STAT+: Workers are paying 9% more for family health coverage this year, a higher jump than in the recent past

Employers may be running out of ways to handle the rising cost of health care Adobe Tara covers the business of health care. Her stories focus on hospitals, doctors, and how their business practices affect patients — especially when private equity gets involved. She also writes about health insurance and ideas for improving our broken health system. You can reach Tara on Signal at tarabannow.70. Health insurance costs are climbing even more quickly for people who get workplace coverage, according to the gold-standard survey from the nonprofit KFF. The amount that workers pay in premiums for a family health insurance plan jumped 9% in 2026, to $7,471 on average, according to KFF’s 2026 Employer Health Benefits Survey. That’s a bigger jump than the 6% and 7% increases KFF recorded in recent years. Workers at small businesses faced even larger increases. Those premium increases are occurring largely because the overall cost of health care is climbing. So far, though, employers have shouldered most of that increase. STAT+ Exclusive Story Already have an account? Log in This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers Unlock this article — and get additional analysis of the financial innards of our health care system — by subscribing to STAT+. Already have an account? Log in View All Plans To read the rest of this story subscribe to STAT+. Subscribe Hospitals and Insurance Reporter Tara covers the business of health care. Her stories focus on hospitals, doctors, and how their business practices affect patients — especially when private equity gets involved. She also writes about health insurance and ideas for improving our broken health system. You can reach Tara on Signal at tarabannow.70.