Employer-sponsored insurance covers the majority of working Americans, and employers collectively spend roughly $1 trillion each year on health benefits. Yet recent data from Morgan Heath suggests that coverage alone does not guarantee consistent access to the conditions that support good health.
Of particular note is rising food insecurity among people with Employer Sponsored Insurances [ESI]. Sharply rising food costs are among Americans’ top concerns. Among individuals with employer-sponsored insurance, the share reporting food insecurity rose from 5.9% in 2021 to 8.5% in 2022, remaining elevated through 2023. (Source: Morgan Health, Food Insecurity Trends in Employer-Sponsored Insurance, 2026). That’s a 60% increase in just one year. Undoubtedly this was due to the economic shocks from the Covid-19 pandemic, but markets are still enduring high prices for many pantry staples. Long-standing advice on budgeting, meal-prep, and reducing waste are no longer providing their leverage; those who work increasingly can no longer afford to eat.
As employers evaluate how to improve workforce health outcomes, new policy innovations are needed to ensure that insured workers are able to maintain the health and well-being of both themselves and their families, with the expansion of ESI programs to include healthy grocery benefits.
In many cases the issue is not simply access to food, but access to balanced meals. Households with children are particularly affected. Moderate-income families earning between $75,000 and $100,000 reported food insecurity rates ranging from 12% to 16% in some cases. (Source: Morgan Health, Food Insecurity Trends in Employer-Sponsored Insurance, 2026)
These are salary ranges for some of our nation’s most critical positions, including teachers, nurses, and so on.
Food insecurity can influence both health outcomes and health care utilization. Individuals experiencing high levels of food insecurity report greater difficulty affording prescriptions and are more likely to rely on emergency services. One analysis found that 43% of individuals experiencing high food insecurity reported an emergency room visit in the prior year, compared with 17% of food-secure individuals. (Source: Morgan Health, Food Insecurity Trends in Employer-Sponsored Insurance, 2026). The data is patently clear; when basic health maintenance is out of reach for want of food, emergency services (and their requisite expenses) fill the gap. The consequences of chronic disease and their complications no longer simply afflict the poor and vulnerable, but now increasingly afflict America’s most productive workers.
As these trends become more visible, Morgan Health identifies ways employers are exploring new ways to support employee health:
- Medically tailored meals or produce vouchers
- Nutrition education programs
- Improved care navigation for mental health services
- Expanded maternal care support models
- Adjustments to employee premiums and cost-sharing
We’re pleased to see examples of how ESI may evolve to tackle this growing challenge, but this is only the beginning. These efforts recognize that workforce health is shaped by both medical care and the conditions that support healthy living. An insistence on simply "tightening the belts” will be sufficient to endure through these challenges. At a time when our families are under greater economic pressure than ever, "the only correct choice is to go hungry” cannot be an acceptable solution. Quite frankly, hunger should not be a problem that Americans face. We should hold with deep skepticism any policies or trains-of-thought that limit American families' fight against hunger.
By examining these factors alongside traditional benefits, employers can strengthen workforce health while improving the long-term effectiveness of their health plans. Implementing expanded healthy grocery programs offers immediate relief against hunger, while increasing access to care, boosting affordability, and improving healthy outcomes.
.png)
