1.How does your employee contribution level compare to published benchmarks for your industry and size?
KFF 2025 data: average employee share for single coverage is ~17% of premium.
2.How well does your contribution structure differentiate by coverage tier (single, employee+spouse, family)?
Flat-dollar contributions that do not vary by tier often create adverse selection.
3.How thoroughly have you tested your lowest-cost self-only plan for ACA affordability?
ACA affordability threshold: 9.96% of safe-harbor income (2026). Failure triggers potential employer shared responsibility payments.
4.How equitably does your contribution strategy treat part-time, hourly, and lower-wage employees?
High employee contributions as a percentage of income can effectively exclude lower-wage workers.
5.How regularly do you review and document your contribution strategy against renewal increases and workforce changes?
Documented annual review with written rationale is the benchmark.
Calculator
ACA Affordability Screen (2026)
Preliminary screen only. Production must determine the correct ACA safe harbor and applicable employees. Affordability percentage: 9.96% (2026).
This tool provides educational decision support only. Results are not legal, tax, actuarial, or insurance advice. Validate all outputs against current plan documents, applicable law, and qualified professional guidance. Scoring version 1.0 · Reference year 2026.
