69% Expect Healthcare Trend Rates Above 7%; 71% Adopt AI Benefits Tools
69% of employers expect medical trend rates above 7%, with 65% linking benefits success to talent attraction and retention, highlighting rising healthcare cost pressures. 71% of organizations are deploying AI-driven tools, and 64% plan virtual assistants via Conduent's Life@Work Connect platform to optimize benefits usage and control spend.
1. Survey Reveals Intensifying Healthcare Cost Pressures
The 2026 Blueprint for Smarter Health Survey shows 69% of employers expect medical trend rates above 7% and 65% gauge benefits success by talent attraction and retention, underscoring the growing tension between rising costs and employee demands for personalized programs.
2. Employers Forecast Rising Benefits Spend
Year-over-year medical trend increases could drive a 62% rise in health costs by 2026 compared to 2017, equating to roughly $5 million in added annual spend for a 10,000-employee workforce at $7,500 average cost per employee.
3. AI Tools Become Strategic Benefits Enabler
AI adoption is accelerating, with 71% of organizations deploying AI-driven tools to guide benefits selection and 64% planning virtual assistants, as HR teams seek to balance human-centered design with cost control through data and automation.
4. Conduent’s Life@Work Connect Platform Details
Conduent’s Life@Work Connect platform, featuring the Conni AI virtual assistant, consolidates health, retirement and wellness data to deliver tailored recommendations, interactive education and analytics on usage patterns to improve benefits engagement and eliminate waste.