US Employee Health Insurance Premiums to Rise ~6-7% in 2026, Mercer Says
A new Mercer survey projects that U.S. employee health insurance premiums will go up by **6%–7%** next year, driven by rising costs of specialty drugs, growing utilization of behavioral health services, and inflation in healthcare delivery. Even with benefit redesigns, total employer plan costs are expected to increase by about 6.5%. Employers should prepare by considering increased cost-sharing, bolstering disease management, and reevaluating network design. Read more →
Employers Lean on Data Transparency to Contain Rising Health Care Costs
According to a recent report from the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions, employers increasingly use claims data and transparent PBMs to manage cost inflation. Strategies like direct contracting, centers of excellence, and hospital price comparisons are becoming more common. Employers should consider auditing their PBM contracts and improving access to claims data to make cost-efficient choices. Read more →
New DOL Agenda Includes ESG, Fiduciary, and PBM Rules
The U.S. Department of Labor’s updated regulatory agenda (through 2026) includes finalizing rules on fiduciary duty (including ESG investing), increased transparency from PBMs, and new proposals around electronic disclosures and ESOP considerations. Plan sponsors should track these developments closely since they could require changes in plan governance, documentation, and vendor agreements. Read more →
Houston Employers Can Leverage Price Transparency Data to Cut Costs, Report Says
A report from Rice University’s Baker Institute finds employers who use price transparency data — such as negotiated rates from major hospitals — can save money by selecting insurers and facilities with lower cost, and by guiding employees toward lower-price providers. For plan sponsors, this means considering benefit designs (like tiered networks) or employee incentives to encourage use of lower-cost providers. Read more →