Mercer projects employer health-benefit costs will climb faster in 2027 than in any year in more than two decades. Employers plan to shift part of that cost to workers through higher premium shares and out-of-pocket charges.
What we’re less sure of3 of 3 claims
Medium
Employer health-benefit costs are projected to rise an average of 8.2% in 2027
Forecast explicitly attributed to Mercer's projection, and carried by The Hill, Washington Post and Mercer's own newsroom release
Medium
The projected 2027 increase would be the sharpest in more than two decades
Attributed to Mercer via The Hill and Washington Post; historical comparison supported by Mercer historical cost-growth data and Axios benchmark, but rests on the same forecast
Medium
Employers plan to pass some of the 2027 cost increase on to workers through employee premium share and out-of-pocket costs
Attributed to employers via Mercer's Survey on Health and Benefit Strategies for 2027, which is titled around employers shifting healthcare costs to employees