There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as health insurance premiums vary depending on a number of factors, including the size of the family, the ages of the family members, the location of the family, the type of health insurance coverage selected, and the amount of the deductible.
According to the Insurance Information Institute, the average annual premium for family health insurance coverage in the United States was $18,142 in 2017. However, this number is somewhat misleading, as the vast majority of families (85.5 percent) receive health insurance through their employer, and the average employer-sponsored health insurance premium was $6,690 for single coverage and $18,764 for family coverage in 2017.
Families who purchase their own health insurance are more likely to feel the full brunt of health insurance costs. For example, a family of four who purchased their own health insurance in 2017 would have paid an average of $26,7300 per year for a Silver plan, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. However, this figure does not take into account the effects of subsidies, which are available to families with incomes below 400 percent of the federal poverty level.
In short, the cost of health insurance for the average American family varies widely depending on a number of factors. However, employers typically bear the brunt of the costs, with families paying an average of $6,690 for single coverage and $18,764 for family coverage in 2017.
