Health Affairs March 18, 2025
Health care costs in the United States continue to rise, placing greater financial pressure on health care purchasers and consumers. According to the KFF’s 2024 Employer Health Benefits Survey, average annual premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance increased in 2024 to $8,951 for individual coverage and $25,572 for family coverage, an annual increase of 6 percent and 7 percent respectively, outpacing both wage growth and inflation.
To mitigate rising costs, employers and health plans are implementing various strategies to manage their spending, particularly on prescription drugs. For example, some US employers have adopted alternative funding programs, a strategy that was recently examined (and cautioned against) in Health Affairs Forefront. Similarly, payers are increasingly turning to controversial copayment accumulator and copayment maximizer...
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