More than 150 million Americans get their health insurance from a job, making it the primary way people in the U.S. get coverage. STAT is examining this crucial source of insurance to understand how and why it is becoming unaffordable for workers and their families across the country.

Health benefits are fading away at small companies Nearly all large companies offer health insurance. But fewer than 60% of smaller firms, with 200 or fewer workers, now offer insurance, an all-time low. The costs of health insurance are pushing small businesses — beloved by politicians and the bedrocks of entire communities — to a financial cliff.

Watering down their insurance plans, or deciding not to offer insurance at all, makes it more difficult for these businesses to retain employees. Read the rest…