News

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.