If you get your health insurance through your job, you could see those monthly plan costs go up.
A new report from Mercer, a global consulting firm, says 2026 could be the fourth consecutive year of elevated health benefit cost growth after a decade of moderate annual increases.
The total health benefit cost per employee for employer‑sponsored health insurance is expected to rise about 6.5% on average in 2026, the highest increase since 2010, according to the report from Mercer.
Over 1,700 employers surveyed by Mercer estimated that plan costs could be even higher — nearly a 9% increase on average — if they took no action to lower costs.
The report notes that both price pressures and higher utilization are driving costs, with factors including new expensive treatments, provider consolidation, inflation and other economic factors. That could mean higher deductibles and out‑of‑pocket costs for employees.
Two top priorities employers identified are managing high‑cost claims and measuring the performance of health programs. Another priority for employers is making behavioral health care more accessible.
View the full report findings from Mercer here.