Health insurance costs rise for American workers, especially in small businesses

A recent survey by the healthcare research nonprofit KFF found that Americans relying on employer-sponsored health insurance paid more for their coverage in 2026 compared to last year.

The 2026 Employer Health Benefits Survey showed that workers, particularly those employed by small businesses with 10 to 99 employees, faced significant premium increases and typically bear a larger share of insurance costs than employees at larger companies, abc7ny.com and abc13.com reported.

On average, workers paid $7,471 annually toward family health benefits premiums this year, an increase of about $621 or 9% from the previous year, according to the KFF study cited by both abc7ny.com and abc13.com.

Rising healthcare costs have become a key concern for voters in the upcoming midterm elections, with an AP-NORC poll indicating that approximately 70% of registered voters consider healthcare one of the most important election issues, according to abc7ny.com.

President Donald Trump has highlighted healthcare affordability, promoting policies like most-favored nation prescription drug pricing and promising rebates for some Americans. However, some actions by his administration have also contributed to higher costs for certain groups, the survey suggests, as reported by abc7ny.com and abc13.com.