The total cost of employer-sponsored family health insurance has surpassed the median monthly mortgage payment for recent homebuyers, with the average employer-sponsored family plan costing $26,993 in 2025.

Increasing Costs

This works out to $2,249 per month, $51 more than the national median mortgage payment of $2,198 for purchase applicants in May 2026. While employers cover most of the insurance bill, with workers paying an average of $6,850 toward family coverage in 2025, the insurance premium is a significant part of an employee’s total compensation.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services plans to release proposed 2027 rates in the individual and small-group markets, which are expected to show large increases. Early filings point to a median requested increase of 14%, with 20 insurers seeking increases of more than 20%.

Impact on Families

The rising costs of health insurance are raising questions about the value families receive. Mark Merritt, executive director of the Insurance Watchdog Coalition, stated that health insurance premiums are beginning to stifle the American Dream, forcing families to choose between owning a home and paying their health insurance premiums.

The average ACA Marketplace deductible rose 37% to a record $3,786 in 2026, and the coalition points to narrower provider networks, more prior authorization rules, and higher out-of-pocket costs. Insurers cited higher hospital, doctor, and prescription drug costs as major reasons for their 2027 requests.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.