STAT series highlights rising workplace health insurance costs and shrinking coverage at small firms

STAT's investigative series "Out of Pocket, Out of Reach" examines why employer-provided health insurance is becoming increasingly unaffordable for many American workers.

One of the takeaways notes that while almost all large employers still offer coverage, fewer than 60% of firms with 200 or fewer employees now provide health insurance, the lowest share on record.

The rising premiums are forcing small businesses to either cut benefits or drop coverage entirely, which threatens employee retention and adds pressure on policymakers to address the affordability gap.