# Uninsured Rate Climbs to 11.2% for Working Adults, Family Premiums Top $28,000

> Working-age Americans faced a significant increase in health insurance costs and a higher uninsured rate in 2026, with worker contributions to family premiums rising faster than wages.

By PrimaryBrief newsroom · Published 2026-10-25T13:40:00.433685Z
Canonical: https://primarybrief.com/article/uninsured-rate-climbs-to-11-2-for-working-adults-family-premiums-top-28-000-24c6013c

The uninsured rate for working-age adults in the U.S. rose from 8.9% in 2024 to 11.2% in 2026, a statistically significant increase that left more Americans without coverage [2][3][4]. Simultaneously, employer-sponsored family health insurance premiums reached an average of $28,303 in 2026, marking a 5% increase from 2025 [6][7][9][10].

These rising costs and declining coverage mean that more Americans are struggling to afford necessary medical care. The proportion of working-age adults who deferred care due to cost increased from 46% in 2022 to 50% in 2026, impacting their health and financial stability [1][17][18].

## What the records show

According to a Commonwealth Fund survey, the uninsured rate for adults aged 19 to 64 grew to 11.2% in 2026 from 8.9% in 2024 [2][3][4]. This trend coincided with a decrease in coverage from ACA marketplace and individual markets, which fell from 8.5% in 2024 to 6.4% in 2026 [2]. Medicaid enrollment also declined, dropping from 15.5% in 2022 to 13% in 2026 [2]. The KFF's annual benchmark health benefits survey reported that average annual premiums for employer-sponsored family health coverage climbed to $28,303 in 2026 [6][7][9][10]. Workers' average contribution to these family premiums increased by 9% from 2025, reaching $7,471 annually [8]. This increase in worker contributions significantly outpaced both wage growth, which was 3.7% in 2026, and inflation, recorded at 2.7% during the same period [11][13][14][15].

## The timeline

The period between 2022 and 2026 saw consistent increases in healthcare costs and a reduction in insurance coverage for working-age adults. In 2022, 46% of working-age adults reported delaying or skipping medical care due to cost [17]. By 2024, the uninsured rate for this demographic stood at 8.9% [2]. The end of 2025 marked a significant shift with the expiration of enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits [4][16]. By 2026, the uninsured rate had risen to 11.2%, and half of all working-age adults avoided needed care due to cost [1][2][3][4][5][18]. During this final year, employer-sponsored family premiums saw a 5% jump, while worker contributions increased by 9% [6][8][9].

## What changed and for whom

The expiration of pandemic-era policies, such as enhanced ACA tax credits and continuous Medicaid enrollment, contributed to the rising number of uninsured individuals and increased cost burdens for families [4][16]. The decline in ACA marketplace and individual market coverage, alongside a fall in Medicaid enrollment, directly impacted the availability of affordable insurance options [2]. For those with employer-sponsored plans, the disproportionate rise in worker contributions to premiums compared to wage growth and inflation meant a heavier financial strain on household budgets [8][11][12][13][14][15]. This shift forced more working-age individuals to forgo necessary medical treatments, even if they were insured [1][18].

## What we could not confirm

We could not confirm specific policy proposals from government agencies or healthcare providers aimed at addressing the observed increases in uninsured rates or the rising costs of employer-sponsored health insurance.
We also could not confirm the specific regional variations in these trends across different states or urban versus rural areas.

## Evidence cited
1. Nearly Half of Working-Age Adults Inadequately Insured in 2026 (ajmc.com) — https://ajmc.com/view/nearly-half-of-working-age-adults-inadequately-insured-in-2026
2. Rising Uninsured Rate and Affordability Challenges Amid Declining ACA and Medicaid Coverage (commonwealthfund.org) — https://www.commonwealthfund.org/blog/2026/rising-uninsured-rate-and-affordability-challenges-amid-declining-aca-and-medicaid-coverage
3. Commonwealth Fund survey finds uninsured rate among working-age Americans rose to 11% in 2026 (aha.org) — https://www.aha.org/news/headline/2026-10-23-commonwealth-fund-survey-finds-uninsured-rate-among-working-age-americans-rose-11-2026
4. Health Insurance Costs Are Increasing: Here's What To Know - Forbes Advisor (forbes.com) — https://www.forbes.com/advisor/health-insurance/health-insurance-costs-increasing/
5. Uninsured rate among working-age Americans jumps to 11.2% in 2026 (beckerspayer.com) — https://www.beckerspayer.com/payer-issues/uninsured-rate-among-working-age-americans-jumps-to-11-2-in-2026.html
6. 2026 Employer Health Benefits Survey (kff.org) — https://www.kff.org/report/2026-employer-health-benefits-survey/
7. 2026 Employer Health Insurance Costs: What Every Small Business Should Know - OPOC.us (opoc.us) — https://www.opoc.us/blog/2026-employer-health-insurance-costs-what-every-small-business-should-know/
8. Premiums for Employer-Sponsored Family Health Coverage Top $28,000 in 2026 (kff.org) — https://www.kff.org/private-insurance/press-release/premiums-for-employer-sponsored-family-health-coverage-top-28000-in-2026/
9. Survey: Premiums for employer-based family coverage surpassed $28,000 in 2026 (aha.org) — https://www.aha.org/news/headline/2026-10-23-survey-premiums-employer-based-family-coverage-surpassed-28000-2026
10. KFF: Employer family premiums up 5% to $28K in 2026 (fiercehealthcare.com) — https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/payers/kff-employer-family-premiums-up-5-to-28k-in-2026
11. KFF: Employer family premiums up 5% to $28K in 2026 (fiercehealthcare.com) — https://fiercehealthcare.com/payers/kff-employer-family-premiums-up-5-to-28k-in-2026
12. Covering the KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey for 2026 (healthjournalism.org) — https://healthjournalism.org/blog/2026/10/covering-the-kff-employer-health-benefits-survey-for-2026/
13. Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance Premiums Rise Again in 2026: KFF Survey (kffhealthnews.org) — https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/employer-sponsored-health-insurance-premiums-rise-again-in-2026-kff-survey/
14. Health Insurance Costs Are Rising, And Workers Are Feeling The Pinch (medicaldaily.com) — https://medicaldaily.com/health-insurance-costs-rising-workers-feeling-pinch-483582
15. 2026 Employer Health Benefits Survey (kff.org) — https://www.kff.org/private-insurance/report/2026-employer-health-benefits-survey/
16. Well-Being and Basic Needs Survey, December 2025 (urban.org) — https://urban.org/policy-centers/health-policy-center/projects/health-reform-monitoring-survey/well-being-basic-needs-survey-december-2025
17. The State of U.S. Health Insurance in 2022 (commonwealthfund.org) — https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2022/sep/state-us-health-insurance-2022-biennial-survey
18. Commonwealth Fund survey finds uninsured rate among working-age Americans rose to 11% in 2026 - EIN Presswire (einnews.com) — https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/665275845/commonwealth-fund-survey-finds-uninsured-rate-among-working-age-americans-rose-to-11-in-2026