Employers plan to shift more healthcare costs to employees 2026: 10 things to know

Becker's Healthcare July 16, 2025
Rylee Wilson

More than half of employers plan to shift more healthcare costs to employees in 2026, according to a survey by Mercer.

The consulting firm surveyed 504 large employers on their employee benefit strategies in April 2025.

Here are 10 things to know:

1. Healthcare costs rose by 4.5% in 2024, and employers expect their costs to rise by 5.8% on average in 2025.
2. Prescription drug costs rose by 8% in 2024, down slightly from 8.6% in 2023.
3. More than half, 51% of employers said they are likely or very likely to make plan design changes that will shift more cost sharing to employees in 2026. This number is slightly higher than last year, when 45%...

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