Employer-sponsored family health coverage costs an average of $28,303 a year in 2026, up 5% from 2025, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) 2026 Employer Health Benefits Survey of 1,937 firms. Single coverage averages $9,804, and workers at small firms pay $9,687 toward a family plan.
KFF published the survey on October 22, 2026. It covers firms with 10 or more workers and defines small firms as those with 10 to 199 workers.
Average premiums in 2026
KFF puts the average single premium at $9,804 and the average family premium at $28,303. The family figure rose 5%, or $1,310, from 2025, and the single premium also rose 5%. Over five years, family premiums rose 28%, while wages rose 27% and inflation rose 24%, according to KFF's news release. In the latest year alone, wages rose 3.7% and inflation 2.7%.
Small firms pay somewhat less in premium than large firms. KFF reports an average single premium of $9,593 at firms with 10 to 199 workers, against $9,865 at firms with 200 or more. For family coverage the figures are $27,288 and $28,592.
Plan type moves the number too. KFF lists the average family premium at $26,450 for HSA-qualified plans and $29,522 for PPOs. The single premium is $8,989 for HSA-qualified plans and $10,272 for PPOs. Workers in HSA-qualified plans contribute $6,211 for family coverage, against $7,471 across all plans.
| Measure (2026 average) | Small firms (10 to 199 workers) | Large firms (200+ workers) |
|---|---|---|
| Single premium | $9,593 | $9,865 |
| Family premium | $27,288 | $28,592 |
| Worker contribution, family coverage | $9,687 | $6,840 |
| Worker share of family premium | 37% | 25% |
| Single-coverage deductible | $2,624 | $1,772 |
Source: KFF, 2026 Employer Health Benefits Survey, October 22, 2026, 1,937 firms. Worker shares are percentages of the total premium.
What workers pay
Workers contribute an average of $1,672 a year for single coverage and $7,471 for family coverage, KFF reports. The family contribution rose $621, or 9%, from 2025. That is faster than the 5% rise in the total family premium.
Across all firms, workers pay 18% of the single premium and 27% of the family premium. At small firms the family share is 37%, against 25% at large firms. KFF also found that 32% of covered workers at small firms must pay more than half of the family premium. At large firms the figure is 6%.
The top of the range is wide. KFF reports that 13% of all covered workers, and 31% at smaller firms, sit in a plan where the family contribution is $12,000 or more. Some small employers cover the whole bill: 29% of covered workers at small firms have an employer that pays the entire single premium, against 5% at large firms.
Deductibles
The average single-coverage deductible is $1,955 in 2026, up from $1,886 in 2025, among covered workers in a plan with a general deductible. KFF reports that 88% of covered workers have such a deductible. Over five years the average rose 18%, and over ten years it rose 34%.
Small firms carry the heavier deductibles. The average is $2,624 at firms with 10 to 199 workers and $1,772 at larger firms. KFF found that 38% of covered workers face a single deductible of $2,000 or more, up from 34% a year earlier. That share is 55% at small firms and 33% at large firms.
Average copays are $27 for primary care and $46 for a specialist, and coinsurance averages 20% for both. For hospital admissions, 60% of covered workers have coinsurance, 11% have a copay, and 10% have both. The average admission copay is $317, and the average outpatient surgery copay is $205.
Out-of-pocket limits vary widely. For single coverage, 14% of covered workers have a limit of $2,000 or less, and 24% have a limit above $6,000, KFF reports.
How many employers offer coverage
KFF finds that 67% of firms with 10 or more workers offer health benefits in 2026. The figure was 61% in 2025, 65% two years ago, and 73% five years ago. Offer rates rise with firm size, and the gap between small and mid-size firms is wide: 98% of firms with 200 to 999 workers offer coverage, and more than 99% of firms with 1,000 or more.
Firms that offer benefits employ 92% of workers, down from 94% five years ago. KFF's Northeast figures run highest, with an average single premium of $10,806 and a family premium of $31,378. In the South the averages are $9,272 and $26,702.
Plan types and funding choices
PPOs enroll 50% of covered workers. HSA-qualified plans enroll 29%, HMOs 12%, and point-of-service plans 8%. Conventional plans enroll under 1%.
Funding differs sharply by size. Overall, 71% of covered workers are in self-funded plans. KFF reports that 25% of covered workers at smaller firms are in self-funded plans, against 85% at larger firms. Level-funded plans cover 38% of covered workers at smaller firms.
Large employers are already shifting cost to workers. Among large firms, 44% name a higher worker share of premiums as their first response to projected cost increases, and 21% name higher deductibles or other cost sharing, according to KFF as reported by Insurance Business on October 22, 2026. The same report says 66% of firms with 5,000 or more employees had already raised worker contributions. Workers at small firms pay $2,823 more toward family coverage than workers at companies with 5,000 or more employees.
Sources
- KFF, 2026 Employer Health Benefits Survey, October 22, 2026
- KFF, Workers Now Pay $7,471 on Average Annually for Family Health Coverage, news release, October 22, 2026
- Insurance Business, Small-firm workers now pay $2,823 more for family coverage, October 22, 2026
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