Workers with job-based health insurance are paying more, and employers expect another steep rise in 2027, according to KFF's annual Employer Health Benefits Survey, reported by KFF Health News and republished by The Haitian Times on October 29.

Workers' average yearly contribution for family coverage rose 9% in 2026 to $7,471, while the average family premium rose 5% to $28,303. Employers still pay most of the bill: workers cover 27% of family premiums and 18% of individual ones. Wages rose 3.7% on average, while inflation was 2.7%.

For 2027, Aon expects employer costs to rise 9.5% and Mercer 8.2%, the most since 2003, while the Business Group on Health projects a median premium increase of 9.2%. Heavier use of care, drug and hospital prices, and GLP-1 weight-loss drugs are among the reasons cited.

To cope, 44% of large employers plan to raise worker contributions; others are raising deductibles, changing insurers, narrowing provider networks or adding preapproval rules. Some contract directly with providers or open on-site clinics. The average individual deductible is $1,772 at large companies and $2,624 at small ones.