Employers are looking for ways to soften health price shocks

Employers grappling with family insurance costs that rival the price of a new sedan are increasingly setting up onsite clinics and negotiating directly with health systems to better control their medical spending, according to a new KFF survey of workplace coverage. What they aren't doing, for the moment, is saddling workers with a disproportionate share of rising health expenses. The big picture: Corporations and workers are sharing the pain as health cost increases are projected to hit their highest levels in decades. And workplace insurance remains a linchpin of the health system, covering almost 157 million people under age 65.Despite employer efforts, millions of Americans already gripped by affordability concerns will face higher deductibles and copays, along with restrictions like pretreatment reviews. By the numbers: Workers are paying an average of $7,471 this year for family coverage, up 9% from 2025, per KFF's annual survey of more than 1,900 employers. Those at firms with fewer than 200 employees are paying an average $9,687 — or $2,847 more than their counterparts at larger companies.Total annual premiums for covering a family including the employers' share now averag…

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