Employees of small businesses are facing steep healthcare costs. Getty Images

Health insurance costs are going up, and it's especially rough for workers at small businesses .

A new annual survey of employers and their health benefits from KFF found that small-business workers pay more for family coverage than workers at firms of every other size. At the same time, many of these workers have fewer plan choices than at larger firms, meaning they're often stuck with whatever option their employer selected.

From 2025 to 2026, annual worker contributions for family coverage at firms with 10 to 199 workers increased from $8,889 to $9,687, a 9% increase. While the largest firms saw a sharper increase, workers' contributions at employers with 5,000 or more employees were nearly $3,000 less.…