Another financial squeeze may be coming for millions of Americans who receive health coverage through work.
Employer-sponsored health benefit costs are projected to rise an average of 8.2 percent per employee in 2027, according to preliminary findings from Marsh’s 2026 National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans.
That would be the largest increase since 2003 and the fifth straight year of elevated growth.
The projection already accounts for steps that companies plan to take to control spending. Without those measures, employers expect the cost of their existing plans to climb an average of 11 percent.
Marsh based its preliminary findings on responses from more than 1,800 US employers.
