Targeted programs that provide support for people with chronic conditions and other health issues (such as diabetes, infertility and cancer) are on more employers' radar. (Image: Shutterstock)
Small employers are particularly feeling the heat of rising health benefit costs, according to the Mercer National Survey of Employer‑Sponsored Health Plans 2018.
Among smaller employers (those with 10 to 499 employees), costs rose by 5.4 percent on average, while mid-size and large employers with 500 or more employees held cost growth to 3.2 percent, according to the survey.
For all 2,409 employers polled, average total health benefit cost per employee rose by 3.6 percent, compared to an increase of 2.6 percent in 2017. While overall cost growth remains moderate, averaging 3.3 percent annually over the past five years compared to 5.7 percent over the prior ten-year period, it continues to outpace inflation.
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Katie Kuehner-Hebert
Katie Kuehner-Hebert is a freelance writer based in Running Springs, Calif. She has more than three decades of journalism experience, with particular expertise in employee benefits and other human resource topics.
