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

KFF's 2026 Employer Health Benefits Survey finds that U.S. workers' annual contributions for family coverage rose 9% in 2026 to an average of $7,471, exceeding recent years' increases of 6% and 7%. Workers at small businesses faced even larger increases. So far, employers have absorbed most of the overall rise in health care costs.