Small business health insurance coverage at risk as costs rise, EBRI finds

Healthcare DIVE January 22, 2026
Ginger Christ

Even as overall employer-based coverage increased in the U.S., small companies pulled back.

Dive Brief:

Employment-based health insurance coverage remains the most common source of coverage among the nonelderly population, at roughly 60%, according to a recent research report from the Employee Benefit Research Institute.
Meanwhile, the share of employers providing coverage inched upward to 49% in 2024, from a near record low of 46.3% the year before, EBRI found.
Gains in coverage offerings were limited to large employers, the research found. Those with more than 100 employees showed steady increases, while coverage among smaller employers deceased.

Dive Insight:

“The overall percentage of employers offering coverage is heavily influenced by the fact that small employers are in...

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