News

-1% of members drive a large share of healthcare costs.
- Specialty drugs and complex treatments are major cost drivers.
-Employers should identify high-cost risks early using data and analytics.
-Proactive care management and claim reviews can help reduce expenses.
- Goal: control costs while maintaining quality care.

Leading organizations are moving from traditional wellness programs to workplace transformation. , management practices) remain unchanged. Work to improve wellbeing. are more effective than individual wellness programs alone. Successful companies use data to identify workplace stressors and track wellbeing outcomes.

Key Insight: Discover how declining financial literacy is shifting employer benefits and education strategies.
What's at Stake: Retirement shortfalls and benefit misallocation risk rising without targeted financial education.
Forward Look: Expect targeted, life‑stage financial education and AI tools to reshape benefits delivery.
Source: Bullets generated by AI with editorial review

- IRS increased 2027 HSA contribution limits.
- Individual limit: $4,500; Family limit: $9,000.
- Catch-up contribution (age 55+): $1,000 (unchanged).
-HDHP minimum deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums also increased.
- New limits take effect January 1, 2027.

A new Milliman estimate shows the annual cost of healthcare for a family of four covered through a typical employer-sponsored plan has risen to $37,824 in 2026. Rising specialty drug costs, healthcare inflation, and continued utilization growth remain major contributors to employer healthcare spending pressures. As affordability concerns continue to intensify, employers are increasingly exploring strategies such as direct contracting, price transparency tools, and alternative pharmacy management approaches to help control long-term costs while maintaining competitive benefits offerings.

A new Ogletree Deakins article outlines how the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026 (CAA 2026) could significantly expand transparency, disclosure, and audit requirements for pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and employer-sponsored health plans. The legislation introduces new rebate pass-through requirements, compensation disclosures, employer audit rights, and participant notice obligations that may reshape how employers oversee pharmacy benefit arrangements moving forward. Employers negotiating PBM contracts or evaluating fiduciary oversight processes should closely monitor these evolving compliance requirements.