Marsh sees US employer health benefit costs rising 8.2% in 2027, highest since 2003
MMC•Drivers include GLP-1 drugs and AI billing tools
GLP-1 weight-loss drugs account for about 1 percentage point of the 2027 increase, alongside higher claims intensity from AI billing tools.
Employers expect benefit cuts and higher premium shares
The survey shows 59% of employers plan benefit cuts in 2027, and about two-thirds of large employers expect higher employee premium shares.
Marsh projects higher employer health benefit costs in 2027
Marsh projects U.S. employer health benefit costs per employee will rise 8.2% on average in 2027, the highest since 2003.
Without cost-reduction steps, employers estimate current plan costs would rise 11%.
The forecast implies a fifth straight year of elevated growth; the average projected increase for 2026 was 6.7%.
