How to Benchmark Employee Benefits Before Renewal

Benchmarking employee benefits means comparing your plan's costs, employee contributions, coverage and access with a clearly defined peer group. Texas employers should start with dated national evidence, then narrow comparisons by employer size, industry and workforce needs. A national average is a reference point, not a Houston quote or proof that a renewal is overpriced.

Which dated benchmarks can employers use?

Employers can use dated KFF surveys to contextualize health benefit costs and BLS data to understand benefit access and participation. Check each source’s publication date, population and measure before comparing it with your plan. National survey results provide context, not a local quote or a verdict on renewal pricing.

As of October 21, 2026, the latest published KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey is the 2025 survey; KFF schedules the 2026 release for October 22, 2026. KFF's 2025 sample covers private and non-federal public firms with at least ten workers. The BLS National Compensation Survey release for March 2026, published September 25, 2026, measures worker access and participation. These populations and measures are not interchangeable.

Source and measurement year	Population and geography	Measure	Benchmark
KFF 2025	Covered workers at firms with 10+ workers; United States	Annual total premium, single / family	$9,325 / $26,993
KFF 2025	Covered workers at firms with 10+ workers; United States	Annual employee premium contribution, single / family	$1,440 / $6,850
KFF 2025	Covered workers at firms with 10–199 workers; United States	Annual family total premium / employee contribution	$26,054 / $8,889
KFF 2025	Covered workers at firms with 200+ workers; United States	Annual family total premium / employee contribution	$27,280 / $6,227
BLS NCS March 2026	Private industry workers, all establishment sizes; United States	Medical care access / participation	71% / 46%

Sources for all table figures: KFF 2025 survey, premiums and worker contributions and BLS March 2026 release, medical care benefits. Access means a benefit is available; participation means workers are enrolled. BLS counts workers and KFF's premium averages concern covered workers, so do not compare these percentages as if they describe the same denominator.

How do you make an apples-to-apples comparison?

An apples-to-apples benefits comparison uses the same coverage tier, reporting period, employer population and cost definition. Separate total premium from employer and employee shares, then compare networks and cost sharing. Mark missing or incompatible data explicitly instead of turning unlike measures into an apparent price difference.

• Use the same year, coverage tier and annual or monthly basis.
• Separate total premium, employer contribution and employee payroll contribution.
• Match employer size, industry, plan funding and network where data permit.
• Compare deductibles, copays, coinsurance, drug coverage and out-of-pocket limits alongside premiums.
• Record what the benchmark excludes, including administrative fees or employer account contributions.

National results are not Houston-specific pricing. Obtain current proposals for your eligible workforce and verify networks near employees' homes and worksites. Our Houston group health insurance cost guide explains the local quoting context.

What does this mean for renewal?

Use benchmarking at renewal to identify questions, not to select the lowest premium automatically. Separate contribution policy from total plan cost, then examine coverage, networks and funding differences. Document any tradeoff that shifts costs or access to employees and confirm details against current proposals and official plan materials.

If your employee family contribution looks high, first compare the employer subsidy and tier structure with similar-size firms. If your total premium is high, investigate network, age mix, benefits and funding before cutting coverage. A lower premium can shift costs to employees through deductibles or narrower access. Document the tradeoff and use the Summary of Benefits and Coverage to compare benefits consistently.

Review enrollment and employee feedback with aggregated, privacy-conscious data. Then choose a measurable goal: a sustainable employer budget, more manageable employee contributions or fewer access problems. Coordinate the comparison through group health insurance planning, and use our benefit statement guide to explain the resulting package.

Blank comparison framework

Enter your verified plan information and a clearly identified reference. Blank cells are intentional: do not substitute guessed averages. If the populations or measures differ, record that limitation instead of calculating a misleading gap.

Measure	Your plan / period	Reference / source / population	Comparable? / limitation
Total premium by coverage tier	________	________	________
Employer contribution by tier	________	________	________
Employee payroll share by tier	________	________	________
Deductible and out-of-pocket limit	________	________	________
Network and service area	________	________	________
Access, eligibility and participation definitions	________	________	________

General information for employers, not legal, tax, or medical advice; plan documents and current rules control.

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