Discouraging News on the Health Front

According to KFF, a health finance reporting firm, the family premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance plans now average $26,993 annually. For perspective, this is approximately the same cost as a new Toyota Corolla. Also according to KFF, average employer contributions come to $20,143, with the employee portion amounting to $6,850. Over the past three years, those costs have risen 6% to 7% annually. It will be interesting to see if the recent insurance concerns will produce some kind of moderation of these rates and increases. The current prediction, however, is for higher increases in 2026, largely due to prescription price increases.