U.S. Employer Health Care Costs Projected To Increase 9.5%, Exceeding $19,000 Per Employee In 2027

U.S. employer health care costs are projected to increase 9.5% in 2027, pushing average health plan costs above $19,000 per employee. The increase would mark the fourth consecutive year of health care cost trends approaching double digits. The projection assumes employers make no changes to benefit designs or implement care management programs to reduce costs; Aon expects many employers to take cost-management actions that will reduce the actual increase.

Employers are already absorbing most of the increase in health plan spending. Employer costs for medical and prescription drug benefits increased 8.8%, from an average of . . .