September 10th, 2026
Understanding Healthcare Investments
Investing in Your Healthcare
$16
a week
That’s what Ralphs pharmacists pay for Employee + Family coverage
The average California family pays $175.92 a week
What You Pay vs. What the Market Pays
Pharmacist
U.S.
California
U.S.
California
Weekly employee premium contribution, by coverage tier.
Employee Only
$8.00
$34.40
$37.44
Employee + Children
$11.50
$90.52
$93.44
Employee + Spouse / Family
$16.00
$138.77
$175.92
Source: KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey, 2024 (most recent available). California and U.S. figures are averages per enrolled employee across all industries.
Employee Only
4.7×
Employee-only coverage costs
$8.00 a week. That’s 4.7x less than
the California average of $37.44.
$8.00 a week. That’s 4.7x less than
the California average of $37.44.
Kept each year
$8,316
What a pharmacist with family
coverage keeps compared to the California average.
coverage keeps compared to the California average.
Share of pay
0.54%
Or $1 for every $185 a pharmacist earns pays premium costs. The avg. SoCal family pays $11 for every $185.
Adjusted for inflation, the real cost of your healthcare premium has fallen by nearly 1/3 over the past 20 years while national premiums have nearly doubled.
The current offer keeps these rates flat for three more years. Funding that protection is part of the same investment pool that funds wage increases. Those dollars can’t be spent twice.
Bargaining resumes September 28.
Read the full update at RalphsCBA.com