A new report out from KFF, a nonprofit health policy research, polling, and news organization, finds annual family premiums -- the money that comes out of your paycheck to cover health insurance -- cost about $25,572 on average in 2024.

That's on top of a rise of 7% the year before. On average, a worker is covering about $6,296 of their plan.

"One of the big things driving this cost increase is just the impact of inflation over the last couple of years," Matthew Rae, associate director of the program on the Health Care Marketplace at KFF, told Scripps News. "Health care is just one of those things where so many of the prices are set in advance that it takes a long time for the effects of inflation to kind of work its way into the health insurance premiums we pay."

About 1 in 5 employers are covering expensive and popular diabetes and obesity GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, which can cause profound weight loss.

But "Even among those that do, they place lots of restrictions, requirements on that coverage they may require. You see a dietician. They may require you have a BMI, which is much, much higher than that indicated by the FDA," Rae said.

Mental health benefits continue to be a struggle for employers. About a quarter of employers KFF surveyed say their plan's network for mental health and substance abuse is "somewhat" or "very" narrow.

Many larger firms reported using third party vendors like Headspace or Lyra Health or employee assistance programs.

"We've had this incredible demand for mental health care services over recent years, and we don't have the workforce to provide the care that that is needed," Rae said.

12% of large firms surveyed gave extra compensation or benefits to employees who enroll in a spouse's plan, and 13% gave extra to employees if they do not participate in their company's health plan.

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