Adopting new technology-enabled tools and solutions that addresses the high cost of health care have allowed employers to cut costs without any increases or other financially intrusive measures. (Photo: Shutterstock)

The benefits of technology are being seen in the employee benefits world. According to a new Mercer National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans, health benefits cost growth will hold steady at 4.1 percent in 2019. The survey shows that medical costs have actually declined from 6.5 percent to about 5.3 percent leading into 2019.

This year, many employers surveyed said that adopting new technology-enabled tools and solutions that addresses the high cost of health care have allowed the costs to be cut or held without any increases or other financially intrusive measures.

“The improvement in the underlying medical plan trend is encouraging because those savings are not solely coming from shifting cost to employees,” said Tracy Watts, Senior Partner and Mercer's Leader for Health Reform. “It suggests that there is a 'quiet revolution' going on in organizations as they deploy more innovative health benefit strategies – and that these have started to pay off.”