The average annual deductible for single employer coverage is $1,955 in 2026, up from $1,886 in 2025, according to KFF's 2026 Employer Health Benefits Survey. Among covered workers, 38% now sit in a plan with a single deductible of $2,000 or more, up from 34% a year earlier.
KFF published the survey on October 22, 2026. It rests on 1,937 completed interviews with firms, of which 1,668 offer health benefits. Interviews ran from January 5 to July 13, 2026, and the response rate was 11%. The figures cover employer-sponsored plans only. They do not describe Medicare, Medicaid or marketplace patients.
The 2026 deductible numbers
KFF measures the general annual deductible for workers whose plan has one. In 2026, 88% of workers with single coverage have a general deductible, the same share as last year. The average for those workers is $1,955. KFF calls that similar to 2025, since the dollar change is $69, or 3.7% on the 2025 base of $1,886 (the AHA reports the 2025 figure).
The longer view is steeper. KFF reports the average single deductible is up 18% over five years and 34% over ten years. The share of covered workers with a $2,000 or higher deductible grew faster: 31% over five years and 63% over ten years.
| Measure (single coverage) | 2026 | Comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Average general deductible | $1,955 | $1,886 in 2025 |
| Workers with a general deductible | 88% | 88% in 2025 |
| Workers with a deductible of $2,000 or more | 38% | 34% in 2025 |
| Change in average deductible, 5 years | 18% | 34% over 10 years |
| Change in $2,000+ share, 5 years | 31% | 63% over 10 years |
Source: KFF, 2026 Employer Health Benefits Survey, October 22, 2026; 2025 average from the American Hospital Association's summary of the survey.
Small employers carry the larger deductibles
Workers at smaller firms (10 to 199 workers in KFF's definition) average a $2,624 deductible. Workers at larger firms average $1,772. The gap is $852, so the small-firm deductible is 48.1% higher than the large-firm figure.
The split is wider for the $2,000 threshold. KFF found 55% of covered workers at smaller firms face a deductible of $2,000 or more, against 33% at larger firms. A 22-point difference means the same practice can see two patients with the same visit and very different amounts due, depending on who employs them.
Premiums run the other way. Single coverage averages $9,593 at firms with 10 to 199 workers and $9,865 at larger firms, so smaller employers pay a little less in premium and pass more cost to the worker at the point of care. The average family premium is $27,288 at smaller firms and $28,592 at larger ones.
What plan types and copays look like
KFF's 2026 plan mix is PPO 50%, HSA-qualified 29%, HMO 12%, POS 8% and conventional plans under 1% of covered workers. KFF stopped tracking high-deductible plans as a separate plan type this year. HSA-qualified enrollment is the closest measure.
The visit-level cost sharing looks small next to the deductible. Primary care visits average a $27 copayment or 20% coinsurance. Specialist visits average a $46 copayment or 20% coinsurance. Both are similar to last year. A hospital admission averages 20% coinsurance or a $317 copayment, and outpatient surgery averages a $205 copayment.
The out-of-pocket maximum caps what a patient pays in a year. Virtually all covered workers with single coverage have one. In 2026, 14% are in a plan with a limit of $2,000 or less, and 24% are in a plan with a limit above $6,000.
| Service | Average copayment | Average coinsurance |
|---|---|---|
| Primary care visit | $27 | 20% |
| Specialist visit | $46 | 20% |
| Hospital admission | $317 | 20% |
| Outpatient surgery | $205 | Not stated |
Source: KFF, 2026 Employer Health Benefits Survey, October 22, 2026.
Where the money comes from for the patient
Workers pay a share of the premium before they reach a practice. KFF puts the average worker contribution at $1,672 for single coverage and $7,471 for family coverage. That equals 18% of the single premium of $9,804 and 27% of the family premium of $28,303. Both premiums rose 5% from 2025.
Employer help with the deductible is rare. Only 3% of covered workers in HSA-qualified plans receive an employer contribution that equals or exceeds their deductible. Another 10% receive a contribution that brings their annual liability under $1,000. Separately, 8% of covered workers are in a plan offered with a health reimbursement arrangement, and of those, 61% can use it to reduce cost sharing.
The cost of family coverage also differs by firm size. Workers at smaller firms contribute $9,687 toward a family plan, which is 37% of the premium. Workers at larger firms contribute $6,840, or 25%. At smaller firms, 31% of workers with family coverage contribute $12,000 or more, against 13% across all firms.
What a practice can do with the numbers
A $1,955 average deductible is about 72 times the $27 primary care copay (simple division of the two KFF averages). For a patient who has not met the deductible, the visit price, not the copay, sets the bill. Patients at small employers face a higher chance of that: 55% of them hold a $2,000 or higher deductible.
Two habits fit most front desks. Ask the payer for the remaining deductible at scheduling, not at check-in, and quote the patient's likely share before the visit. Also record whether the plan is HSA-qualified, since 29% of covered workers hold one and may pay from an account.
A practice that tracks the share of its commercial patients with deductibles above $2,000 can compare it with KFF's 38% national figure and with the 55% and 33% splits by employer size. A local employer mix that leans toward small firms will sit closer to the higher number.
Sources
- KFF, 2026 Employer Health Benefits Survey, October 22, 2026
- American Hospital Association, Survey: Premiums for employer-based family coverage surpassed $28,000 in 2026, October 22, 2026
Talk to us
Fifteen minutes about your practice and the systems you run.