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National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans

Our annual health benefits survey is one of the largest of its kind. It provides trends in benefit cost and plan design and looks at employers’ strategies for managing cost and supporting employees.

Addressing rampant cost growth now while preparing for a more sustainable future

The new survey results show employers grappling with health benefit cost growth. The average total health benefit cost per employee rose 7.3% in 2026, and an even higher increase — 8.2% — is projected for 2027. Employers took various actions in 2026 to provide some immediate relief from cost increases — most notably, they made plan design changes that shifted more cost to employees, and a significant number dropped coverage for GLP-1 medications for weight loss. Many also are pursuing longer-term cost management strategies that seek to cut cost and preserve affordability by guiding employees and family members to providers selected based on cost and quality.  
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What strategies are employers pursuing in 2026?

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