Premiums for employer-sponsored health coverage rose 5% in 2026, according to a KFF survey of more than 1,900 employers nationwide with at least 10 workers, released Oct. 22, 2026. Single coverage averaged $9,804 and family coverage $28,303.
Workers' share of the cost grew faster than the totals. Employees paid about $1,672 toward single coverage while employers paid $8,132; for family plans the worker share was $7,471 against $20,833 from employers. KFF reported that the employee contribution for individual coverage climbed $232, or 16%, between 2025 and 2026, and the family contribution rose $621, or 9%.
In a statement, KFF President and CEO Drew Altman connected the family-premium increase to voters' anxiety about health care costs, noting recent attention to Affordable Care Act and Medicaid cuts.
Deductibles also climbed. The average for single coverage reached $1,995, more than double the $955 reported in 2011, and 88% of workers with individual coverage had a deductible in 2026.
The survey documented wide variation by firm size. Among employers with more than 200 workers, 27% covered in vitro fertilization, ranging from 24% at firms with 200 to 999 employees to 47% at those with more than 5,000. Eighteen percent of large firms covered GLP-1 drugs in 2026, slightly below the 19% reported for 2025, and 40% required workers using those drugs for weight loss to consult a dietitian, case manager or therapist, or enroll in a lifestyle program.
KFF data show premiums rising steadily for 15 years; in 2011 single coverage cost just under $5,500 and family coverage $15,220.