Caroline Pearson shared her insights with USA TODAY on how rising health insurance costs affect American families. These escalating costs impact both employers and employees:

“Every month, your paycheck is smaller than it would be, because your premium costs are higher…[and] every year, your wages go up by less because your employer is paying more for health care.” —Caroline Pearson

From 2005 to 2025, costs of health care increased an average of 6% each year, outpacing median wages and the average annual inflation rate of 2.5%. Employees now contribute a larger percentage of their paycheck to health care premiums through payroll deductions. From 2005 to 2025, employee contributions toward their total health care costs increased from 21% to 27%.