@KFF

The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news.

 San Francisco | Washington DC
kff.org
Joined October 2009
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How may the Medicaid process for verifying medical exemptions from work requirements compare to SNAP’s processes? Our new brief offers key insights: on.kff.org/4iuiJ5f
Read KFF’s new issue brief: Assessing Ability to Work: How Historical SNAP Processes May Vary from Medicaid

ALT Read KFF’s new issue brief: Assessing Ability to Work: How Historical SNAP Processes May Vary from Medicaid

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Employers saw their healthcare premiums rise 5% this year — and some passed on that burden to workers — as the cost of family coverage in job-based insurance exceeds $28,000 for family plans. kffhealthnews.org/insurance/…

Job-Based Health Plan Costs Rise, With Little Relief in Sight - KFF Health News

Employers saw their healthcare premiums rise 5% this year — and some passed on that burden to workers — as the cost of family coverage in job-based insurance exceeds $28,000 for family plans.

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Add a 9% increase in the worker share of premiums to Medicaid cuts and ACA marketplace premium hikes and you can understand why health costs are tied with gas prices as a cost of living concern for voters. Our 28th employer health benefits survey is out: on.kff.org/ehbs2026

2026 Employer Health Benefits Survey | KFF

This is the 28th Employer Health Benefits Survey (EHBS) and reflects employer-sponsored health benefits in 2026. As in years past, the survey examines trends in employer coverage, including premiums,...

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🚨 KFF’s 2026 Employer Health Benefits Survey is out. Family premiums rose 5% to $28,303—but workers’ contributions jumped 9% to $7,471, an extra $621 a year. Explore these findings, GLP-1 coverage, onsite clinics & more: lnkd.in/eY26zXtk

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Worker premiums for family health insurance are up 9%. The total average premium is $28,303. The average deductible is $1,955. It's no wonder people are worried about health care costs.
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Changes to the ACA and Medicaid leading to millions losing coverage and increases in health care expenses legitimately occupy a lot of political focus. But, lack of affordability for the 157 million people with employer coverage should get more attention. kff.org/private-insurance/wo…

Workers Now Pay $7,471 on Average Annually for Family Health Coverage, Up 9% or $621 from 2025,...

Workers are paying on average $7,471 annually toward the premiums for employer-sponsored family health benefits this year, which is up 9%, or $621, from 2025, per KFF’s annual benchmark health...

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Our new survey finds that the average annual deductible for single coverage is nearly $2,000. The average this year stands at $1,955, similar to $1,886 in 2025. Covered workers at small firms face much larger average deductibles than workers at larger firms ($2,624 vs. $1,772). on.kff.org/ehbs2026
KFF graph showing average deductibles for single coverage: $1,995 on average, $2,624 for small firms, and $1,772 for large firms.

ALT KFF graph showing average deductibles for single coverage: $1,995 on average, $2,624 for small firms, and $1,772 for large firms.

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Our 2026 benchmark employer health benefits survey finds that total annual premiums for family coverage — including the employers’ share — now average $28,303, up 5% or $1,310 from 2025. Workers now contribute an average of $7,471 annually to the cost of family coverage: on.kff.org/ehbs2026
A KFF chart titled "Workers’ Contribution to Family Employer Premiums Rise 9% in 2026." The left side shows average annual premiums for family coverage in 2026: $28,303 total, with $7,471 as the worker's contribution and $20,833 as the employer's contribution. The right side displays the percentage increase since 2025: 5% for total premium, 9% for worker contribution, and 3.7% for worker earnings.

ALT A KFF chart titled "Workers’ Contribution to Family Employer Premiums Rise 9% in 2026." The left side shows average annual premiums for family coverage in 2026: $28,303 total, with $7,471 as the worker's contribution and $20,833 as the employer's contribution. The right side displays the percentage increase since 2025: 5% for total premium, 9% for worker contribution, and 3.7% for worker earnings.

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Our 2026 benchmark employer health benefits survey finds that workers are paying on average $7,471 annually toward the premiums for employer-sponsored family health benefits this year — up 9% or $621, from 2025. on.kff.org/ehbs2026
A KFF chart titled "Workers’ Contribution to Family Employer Premiums Rise 9% in 2026." The left side shows average annual premiums for family coverage in 2026: $28,303 total, with $7,471 as the worker's contribution and $20,833 as the employer's contribution. The right side displays the percentage increase since 2025: 5% for total premium, 9% for worker contribution, and 3.7% for worker earnings.

ALT A KFF chart titled "Workers’ Contribution to Family Employer Premiums Rise 9% in 2026." The left side shows average annual premiums for family coverage in 2026: $28,303 total, with $7,471 as the worker's contribution and $20,833 as the employer's contribution. The right side displays the percentage increase since 2025: 5% for total premium, 9% for worker contribution, and 3.7% for worker earnings.

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In 2023, ACA Medicaid expansion covered over 1 in 4 SSDI applicants and beneficiaries waiting to be eligible for Medicare. In future years, this group may struggle to maintain Medicaid before being eligible for Medicare due to new work requirements: on.kff.org/4yCMKF1
The KFF image has a purple background with text that reads, "Issue Brief: What Could Medicaid Work Requirements Mean for People with Disabilities Waiting for Medicare Coverage?"

ALT The KFF image has a purple background with text that reads, "Issue Brief: What Could Medicaid Work Requirements Mean for People with Disabilities Waiting for Medicare Coverage?"

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Notable shares of the public and parents hold misperceptions about the vaccine discussions at the center of President Trump’s executive order calling for a change in U.S. childhood vaccine recommendations. Explore these misperceptions: on.kff.org/4yTArVA
About Half of Parents Mistakenly Believe Spacing Out Vaccines Is Healthier for Children; Half Say No Strong Evidence to Support Such a Claim. The chart shows response rates from U.S. adults, including parents, about which answer comes closest to their view, even if neither is exactly right: “Children are healthier when their vaccines are spaced out and they don’t get multiple shots in one visit” or “There is no strong evidence that spacing out vaccines or avoiding multiple shots in one visit is healthier for children.”

ALT About Half of Parents Mistakenly Believe Spacing Out Vaccines Is Healthier for Children; Half Say No Strong Evidence to Support Such a Claim. The chart shows response rates from U.S. adults, including parents, about which answer comes closest to their view, even if neither is exactly right: “Children are healthier when their vaccines are spaced out and they don’t get multiple shots in one visit” or “There is no strong evidence that spacing out vaccines or avoiding multiple shots in one visit is healthier for children.”

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At least 15 states use Medicaid state directed payments to support nursing home services. New federal limits could reduce such payments, with potential effects on nursing homes and residents — about two-thirds of whom rely on Medicaid as their primary payer: on.kff.org/4k1E7Qw
The KFF pie chart shows the distribution of annual spending on State Directed Payments (SDPs) for nursing home services. The total spending is $3.7 billion, with 59% ($2.2 billion) coming from federal sources and 41% ($1.5 billion) from state sources. The chart is from KFF and includes a note about state submissions to CMS.

ALT The KFF pie chart shows the distribution of annual spending on State Directed Payments (SDPs) for nursing home services. The total spending is $3.7 billion, with 59% ($2.2 billion) coming from federal sources and 41% ($1.5 billion) from state sources. The chart is from KFF and includes a note about state submissions to CMS.

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About half of parents mistakenly believe spacing out vaccines is healthier for kids — but most still have confidence in the safety of MMR and other long-standing childhood vaccines, new KFF polling finds: on.kff.org/4yTArVA
KFF chart titled "Majorities of Parents Across Partisanship Are Confident in MMR and Other Long-Standing Vaccines for Kids; Large Partisan Divides Over COVID-19 Vaccines". It displays percentages of confidence in vaccines: MMR (78%), Polio (76%), Hepatitis B (75%), Flu (67%), and COVID-19 (42%). The data is divided by political affiliation: Democrats show higher confidence than Republicans in each category.

ALT KFF chart titled "Majorities of Parents Across Partisanship Are Confident in MMR and Other Long-Standing Vaccines for Kids; Large Partisan Divides Over COVID-19 Vaccines". It displays percentages of confidence in vaccines: MMR (78%), Polio (76%), Hepatitis B (75%), Flu (67%), and COVID-19 (42%). The data is divided by political affiliation: Democrats show higher confidence than Republicans in each category.

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About half of parents (48%) mistakenly say kids are healthier when vaccines are spaced out and they do not get multiple shots in one visit, while the remaining half (52%) says there is no strong evidence to support the claim. More in our new findings: on.kff.org/4yTArVA
About Half of Parents Mistakenly Believe Spacing Out Vaccines Is Healthier for Children; Half Say No Strong Evidence to Support Such a Claim. The chart shows response rates from U.S. adults, including parents, about which answer comes closest to their view, even if neither is exactly right: “Children are healthier when their vaccines are spaced out and they don’t get multiple shots in one visit” or “There is no strong evidence that spacing out vaccines or avoiding multiple shots in one visit is healthier for children.”

ALT About Half of Parents Mistakenly Believe Spacing Out Vaccines Is Healthier for Children; Half Say No Strong Evidence to Support Such a Claim. The chart shows response rates from U.S. adults, including parents, about which answer comes closest to their view, even if neither is exactly right: “Children are healthier when their vaccines are spaced out and they don’t get multiple shots in one visit” or “There is no strong evidence that spacing out vaccines or avoiding multiple shots in one visit is healthier for children.”

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Sheba Medical Center is building what could become the first fully AI-based hospital by 2030. Dr. Eyal Zimlichman — Sheba’s Chief Transformation Officer, Chief Innovation Officer and Chief AI officer — talks with Host Chip Kahn about what that means for patients. Listen to the full podcast episode: on.kff.org/4jrc64G
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We're in another campaign where voters may punish the party in power for disrupting the status quo in health care, this time for changes to Medicaid and the ACA. It also happened in 2018 after Republicans tried to repeal the ACA, and in 2010 after Democrats passed the ACA.
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States can go beyond minimum federal requirements to establish broader guaranteed issue protections for Medigap policies. Review federal and state rules and how they affect beneficiaries’ access to Medigap coverage in our updated analysis: on.kff.org/4zCGjTa
Map of the United States titled "Eight States Have Relatively Generous Guaranteed Issue Protections on an Either Continuous or Annual Basis." The map shows states with expanded protections (green) and those that exceed federal standards (purple). The other states, highlighted in blue, offer protections on either a continuous or annual basis. States with only federal minimum standards are in gray. A key provides information on the protection categories. The KFF logo is in the bottom corner.

ALT Map of the United States titled "Eight States Have Relatively Generous Guaranteed Issue Protections on an Either Continuous or Annual Basis." The map shows states with expanded protections (green) and those that exceed federal standards (purple). The other states, highlighted in blue, offer protections on either a continuous or annual basis. States with only federal minimum standards are in gray. A key provides information on the protection categories. The KFF logo is in the bottom corner.

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New KFF analysis finds nearly 3 in 4 Medicare Advantage enrollees (74%, or 20.9 million people in 2023) had a pre-existing medical condition that could lead private insurers to refuse to sell them a Medigap policy or charge them more if they were to try to purchase one. Details: on.kff.org/4ipFib6
The image is an informational graphic by KFF. It states, "Nearly 3 in 4 enrollees in Medicare Advantage have a pre-existing medical condition that could trigger a denial for a Medigap policy if they switch to traditional Medicare and seek supplemental coverage." There are three filled blue circles and one empty circle above the text. The source is also noted at the bottom.

ALT The image is an informational graphic by KFF. It states, "Nearly 3 in 4 enrollees in Medicare Advantage have a pre-existing medical condition that could trigger a denial for a Medigap policy if they switch to traditional Medicare and seek supplemental coverage." There are three filled blue circles and one empty circle above the text. The source is also noted at the bottom.

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On KFF’s Business of Health podcast, Dr. @uche_blackstock discusses why patients are increasingly turning to AI and why their experiences should help shape the future of these tools. Hear more from her perspective in the full episode: on.kff.org/4yQQbJ0
Podcast episode titled 'AI in Health Care: Who Gets Left Behind?' by KFF's The Business of Health with Chip Kahn, featuring Dr. Uché Blackstock. Quote says: “Patients are using AI and social media because of gaps in the health care system that they experience, because they ... have to wait a long time for appointments to their doctors because they want more information than they get from their clinicians ... because they want to spend more time with their clinicians. So we have to involve them and I think that's how we can help with the trust piece and really involve them. There is a role to have them participate in how we're developing AI and how we're going to use AI.”

ALT Podcast episode titled 'AI in Health Care: Who Gets Left Behind?' by KFF's The Business of Health with Chip Kahn, featuring Dr. Uché Blackstock. Quote says: “Patients are using AI and social media because of gaps in the health care system that they experience, because they ... have to wait a long time for appointments to their doctors because they want more information than they get from their clinicians ... because they want to spend more time with their clinicians. So we have to involve them and I think that's how we can help with the trust piece and really involve them. There is a role to have them participate in how we're developing AI and how we're going to use AI.”

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Virginia is the only state in the South that doesn't ban abortion or impose an early gestational limit. This fall, voters decide whether to formally add a right to reproductive freedom, including abortion and contraception, to the state's constitution. on.kff.org/4spnwr7
The image features a presentation slide with the title "Abortion on the 2026 Ballot: The Evolving Landscape of State Abortion Initiatives."

ALT The image features a presentation slide with the title "Abortion on the 2026 Ballot: The Evolving Landscape of State Abortion Initiatives."

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