Employers within the U.S. are projecting a median enhance of 10% in healthcare prices for 2026, a brand new survey from the Worldwide Basis of Worker Profit Plans discovered.
The Worldwide Basis of Worker Profit Plans is a nonprofit targeted on offering instructional data to these working within the worker advantages trade. It has greater than 31,000 employer members representing over 25 million lives.
The group’s survey, launched Thursday, was performed between July 30 and August 7 and included responses from 150 company and single employers. The ten% projected enhance in healthcare prices is up from an analogous report final 12 months that projected an 8% median enhance for 2025.
When requested what the first elements contributing to the rise in medical plan prices had been for 2026, 31% mentioned “catastrophic claims,” a rise from 20% who mentioned this final 12 months. Following catastrophic claims, 23% mentioned specialty/expensive prescribed drugs, 15% mentioned utilization because of power situations and 11% mentioned medical supplier prices.
Amongst those that selected specialty/expensive prescribed drugs as a major issue for value will increase, 59% mentioned that GLP-1 medication had been a significant cause (that is down from final 12 months, when 75% mentioned GLP-1s had been accountable). After GLP-1s, 50% mentioned most cancers medication, 21% mentioned cell and gene remedy and 26% mentioned different medication.
To fight these rising prices in 2026, 27% of respondents mentioned that implementing cost-sharing initiatives — reminiscent of by way of deductibles, coinsurance, copays or premium contributions — would be the most impactful. That is up from 21% who mentioned this final 12 months. As well as, that is in line with what Mercer present in its current survey, during which 51% of huge employers mentioned they’re probably or very prone to shift prices to workers in 2026.
About 17% of respondents within the Worldwide Basis’s survey mentioned that implementing plan design initiatives may also be efficient. This consists of dependent eligibility audits, high-deductible well being plans, spousal surcharges and formulary adjustments.
One other 17% mentioned they are going to use buying/supplier initiatives, like telemedicine, worth transparency instruments, facilities of excellence, healthcare navigators and high quality initiatives.
Lastly, 12% of respondents reported that they’ll implement utilization management initiatives, reminiscent of prior authorization, case administration, illness administration and nurse recommendation strains. It is a important lower from final 12 months, nevertheless, when 27% mentioned they’ll use utilization management initiatives.
“The ten% projected enhance is attributed to quite a lot of elements impacting organizations’ medical plan prices, with catastrophic claims and specialty/expensive prescribed drugs topping the checklist,” mentioned Julie Stich, CEBS, vp of content material on the Worldwide Basis of Worker Profit Plans, in a press release. “Employers have indicated that cost-sharing, plan design and buying/supplier initiatives would be the most impactful strategies to handle prices.”
Picture: Ta Nu, Getty Photos
