Paying almost $27,000 a year for family health insurance may sound exaggerated, but it's an increasingly common reality for millions of families in the United States. Of course, this has its reasons and repercussions, which we will analyze below.

According to a survey published on October 22 by the nonprofit organization KFF, in 2025 the average cost of an employer-based family health plan will reach $26,993, a 6% increase compared to the previous year.

The alarming thing is that this increase is faster than wages, which only grew 4%, and inflation, which rose 2.7%. This means that, even if you earn a little more, you are allocating an increasing portion of your income to cover health care.

“It's like buying a car every year just to cover a family of four,” compared Matthew Rae, associate director of KFF's health insurance program.

Although much of that cost is absorbed by employers, the impact on workers is still considerable. On average, employees paid $6,850 per year for their coverage, while employers covered the remaining $20,143.

One of the factors driving up insurance costs the most is the increase in the use of expensive medications, especially new weight-loss treatments like Wegovy and Zepbound.

Forty-three percent of large employers already cover these medications, known as GLP-1s, and most say they've had a significant impact on plan costs.

This is compounded by chronic disease management, increased use of physician services, and rising hospital costs. All of these reasons were cited by companies with more than 200 employees.

Gary Claxton, senior vice president of KFF, noted that employers are beginning to question whether they will continue to offer access to these weight-loss drugs.

“It's not a surprise that some are reconsidering access,” he said.

Finally, not all plans look the same. Rae warns that “there is enormous variation among employers.” That is, what you pay can be very different if you work for a large corporation or a small, local business.

Those who work at small businesses face higher deductibles.On average, a worker must pay $1,886 before their insurance begins to cover expenses. But at companies with fewer than 200 employees, the average deductible rises to $2,631.

In addition, two out of three employers require a co-pay for doctor visits. The average is $27 for general medicine and $45 for specialists. In some cases, employees must pay a percentage of the total medical service, which can further increase expenses.

While the future of Obamacare subsidies is debated in Washington, most Americans do not rely on the system. In fact, 154 million people get their insurance through work, compared to 24 million through the ACA marketplaces.

This shows that changes to the private insurance system have a broader impact than is often discussed.