Employer-sponsored health insurance covers 165.6 million Americans. It’s the default. For lots of workers, it’s a key reason to accept a job offer, or to stay in a job.  

But that system is slowly imploding. As premiums have grown explosively — the average employer plan now prices out at $27,000 for family coverage — businesses have passed more costs onto their workers. 

And, as STAT News reporter Bob Herman wrote in July: America's Small Businesses are Giving Up on Health Insurance.

That story kicked off a series, Out of Pocket, Out of Reach, with a subtitle that says it all: “How America's Employer-Based Healthcare System Continues to Crumble in Slow Motion.”   

Bob covers the business of health care for STAT News. His rigorous investigative journalism recently earned him the coveted title of “UnitedHealth’s least favorite reporter.”

He joins us to unpack how the skyrocketing cost of providing health insurance is affecting companies large and small. 

And he talks with Dan about how the hidden nature of those costs obscures our understanding of just how much the larger health care system is squeezing out of us, eroding our wages and even our freedom to leave crappy jobs. 

Here's a transcript of this episode. 

Subscribe to our newsletter, First Aid Kit.

Send your stories and questions. Or call 724 ARM-N-LEG.

Of course we’d love for you to support this show.

Employer-sponsored health insurance covers 165.6 million Americans. It&rsquo;s the default. For lots of workers, it&rsquo;s a key reason to accept a job offer, or to stay in a job.&nbsp;&nbsp;
But that system is slowly imploding. As premiums have grown explosively &mdash; the average employer plan now prices out at $27,000 for family coverage &mdash; businesses have passed more costs onto their workers.&nbsp;
And, as STAT News reporter Bob Herman wrote in July: <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2026/07/07/small-business-health-insurance-costs-out-of-pocket-series-part-1/">America's Small Businesses are Giving Up on Health Insurance</a>.
That story kicked off a series,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.statnews.com/health-insurance-costs-out-of-pocket-out-of-reach-series/">Out of Pocket, Out of Reach</a>, with a subtitle that says it all: &ldquo;How America's Employer-Based Healthcare System Continues to Crumble in Slow Motion.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Bob covers the business of health care for STAT News. His rigorous investigative journalism recently earned him the coveted title of &ldquo;<a href="https://www.statnews.com/2026/08/17/irs-probe-unitedhealth-group-taxes-private-equity-deals-physician-groups/">UnitedHealth&rsquo;s least favorite reporter</a>.&rdquo;
He joins us to unpack how the skyrocketing cost of providing health insurance is affecting companies large and small.&nbsp;
And he talks with Dan about how the hidden nature of those costs obscures our understanding of just how much the larger health care system is squeezing out of us, eroding our wages and even our freedom to leave crappy jobs.&nbsp;
<a href="https://armandalegshow.com/episode/employer-health-insurance-meltdown/#transcript">Here's a transcript of this episode</a>.&nbsp;
<a href="https://armandalegshow.com/first-aid-kit/">Subscribe to our newsletter, First Aid Kit</a>.
<a href="https://armandalegshow.com/contact/">Send your stories and questions.</a> Or call 724 ARM-N-LEG.
Of course we&rsquo;d love for you to<a href="https://armandalegshow.com/support/"> support this show</a>.

An Arm and a Leg is a podcast about why health care costs so freaking much and what we can (maybe) do about it.

If you’ve ever been surprised by a medical bill, you’re in good company. But as our team of seasoned journalists has learned from years of reporting — you’re not always helpless. We don’t have all the answers, but we’ll offer you tools and big picture insights with plenty of humor and heart. 

An Arm and a Leg is co-produced with KFF Health News and distributed in partnership with KUOW.

You can support An Arm and a Leg by donating at armandalegshow.com/support/

Show Credits: Created, hosted, and produced by Dan Weissmann with senior producer Emily Pisacreta and engagement producer Claire Davenport, edited by Ellen Weiss. Audio wizard: Adam Raymonda. Music is by Dave Weiner and Blue Dot Sessions. Bea Bosco is our consulting director of operations. Lynne Johnson is our operations manager.

An Arm and a Leg&nbsp;is a podcast about why health care costs so freaking much and what we can (maybe) do about it.
If you&rsquo;ve ever been surprised by a medical bill, you&rsquo;re in good company. But as our team of seasoned journalists has learned from years of reporting &mdash; you&rsquo;re not always helpless. We don&rsquo;t have all the answers, but we&rsquo;ll offer you tools and big picture insights with plenty of humor and heart.&nbsp;
An Arm and a Leg is co-produced with <a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/">KFF Health News</a> and distributed in partnership with <a href="https://www.kuow.org/">KUOW</a>.
You can support An Arm and a Leg&nbsp;by donating at <a href="https://armandalegshow.com/support/">armandalegshow.com/support/</a>
<hr>
Show Credits:&nbsp;Created, hosted, and produced by Dan Weissmann with senior producer Emily Pisacreta and engagement producer Claire Davenport, edited by Ellen Weiss. Audio wizard: Adam Raymonda. Music is by Dave Weiner and Blue Dot Sessions. Bea Bosco is our consulting director of operations. Lynne Johnson is our operations manager.