Health plan costs continue to increase at high levels
Healthcare costs remain elevated, and employers should prepare for this higher-cost environment to continue. With medical and pharmacy spending putting ongoing pressure on health plans, organizations must balance cost management with providing competitive, affordable benefits and supporting their workforce.
The Q3 2026 People Solutions Market Update brings together the latest data and considerations to help employers understand what’s driving pressure & where meaningful opportunities exist
Key takeaways from the report:
Market pressures, expensive medications, increasing high-cost claims, and chronic condition management are keeping costs elevated.
Healthcare services are becoming more expensive while employees continue to use more care.
Pharmacy costs continue to be influenced by double-digit brand medication price increases and growing GLP-1 costs.
Leave administration is becoming more complex as employers manage increasing regulatory requirements, disconnected systems, and limited internal capacity.
Explore the five-step checklist for managing cost increases, learn key questions to consider when evaluating your leave administration approach, and get more insight into today’s cost drivers in the Q3 2026 People Solutions Market Update. (opens a new window)
READ THE PEOPLE SOLUTIONS MARKET UPDATE (opens a new window)
