One of the key focuses on the ongoing government shutdown is the looming spike in health care costs for those on Obamacare. And as workers prep for open enrollment this week, those who get their insurance through their employers — a majority of Americans — are likely to see higher prices, as well.

According to a recent report from the health policy research organization KFF, premiums for workplace insurance plans were up 6% this year. Employers are bracing for even higher costs in 2026, said Matthew Rae, associate director of the Program on the Health Care Marketplace at KFF.

“So when premiums go up, both employers and employees share the cost,” he said. “At this point, workers chip in about 26% of the cost for family coverage on average.”

Several factors are driving the increase, Rae said, including the increased adoption of pricey GLP-1 weight loss drugs and advanced gene therapies.

“And those all cost money that gets passed along to insurers, and then passed along to employers and their employees through premiums and co-pays,” said Alee Lockman, who teaches at the Texas A&M School of Public Health.

Employers who can’t or don’t want to eat those higher costs have a few options, per Miranda Yaver, who teaches health policy and management at the University of Pittsburgh.

“There can be adjustments to sort of the scope of benefits. There can also be adjustments to what employees themselves can be expected to cover,” she said.

Yaver added that that may push workers into cheaper monthly plans with higher deductibles as they try to keep their health care costs down.