KFF survey finds employer health plan premiums rose 5% in 2026

Workers with job-based health insurance are paying noticeably more toward their premiums this year, as the overall average cost of those plans grew about 5%, West Virginia Watch reported, citing an annual survey from KFF, a nonpartisan health policy group.

According to the outlet, the average yearly premium reached $9,804 for single coverage and $28,303 for family coverage. KFF drew its results from more than 1,900 employers across the country, each with a workforce of 10 or more.

Of the single-coverage total, workers paid roughly $1,672 and employers picked up $8,132. On family plans, employees put in $7,471 while employers supplied $20,833. Compared with 2025, the employee portion of single premiums went up $232, a 16% jump, and the employee portion of family premiums climbed $621, or 9%, the outlet reported.

Drew Altman, who heads KFF as its president and chief executive, pointed to public concern over federal health programs in a written statement. "We have been hearing a lot about Affordable Care Act and Medicaid cuts," he said, according to West Virginia Watch. Altman added that the higher worker contributions for family plans give voters another reason to worry about health costs.

KFF figures cited by the outlet show premiums rising every year for the past decade and a half. Back in 2011, single coverage averaged slightly under $5,500 annually, and family coverage averaged $15,220.

Deductibles have grown as well. The typical deductible on a single plan hit $1,995 in 2026, compared with $955 in 2011, more than a twofold increase. West Virginia Watch reported that 88% of workers enrolled in single coverage faced a deductible this year.

What plans cover differed depending on employer size. KFF defines large firms as those with over 200 workers, and 27% of them paid for in vitro fertilization. The share was 24% among firms employing 200 to 999 people, 38% among those with 1,000 to 4,999, and 47% among employers above 5,000.

Among large firms, coverage of GLP-1 medications, which treat Type 2 diabetes and aid weight loss, dipped from 19% last year to 18% this year. The survey also found that 40% of companies set conditions for covering the drugs when used for weight loss, such as sessions with a dietitian, therapist or case manager, or enrollment in a lifestyle program.

A separate poll by GoodRx, a company that offers prescription discounts, found that over 25% of those surveyed had some kind of hole in their coverage, according to an InvestigateTV story published by Alaska's News Source, WLBT and WBTV. Close to half pointed to shortfalls in prescription coverage, while upward of a third said their dental care was only partly covered. Divya Iyer, a GoodRx senior vice president, said these gaps cause some patients to put off treatment or go without their medications.

Compiled by True News from reporting by West Virginia Watch, Alaska's News Source, WLBT and WBTV. Each outlet's original story is linked below.

Originally published by True News: https://truenews.bagleyenterprises.net/stories/346