Single-digit cost increases are a thing of the past. Costs are teetering on double-digit hikes — the highest in 15 years — prompting swift, immediate change. Incremental tweaks aren't enough. Intense financial pressure is forcing employers to question traditional condition management models and welcome innovative solutions that can clearly reduce costs in the first year, while improving health outcomes.

Here are four key trends reshaping how our industry is pioneering better health outcomes and reducing costs in the coming years.

GLP-1s will continue to drive costs as use, popularity, and accessibility increase.

GLP-1s and other specialty drugs continue to escalate costs as their use broadens, becoming more mainstream, and demand remains high — even after the FDA removed them from its drug shortage list. Many people taking GLP-1s also manage multiple prescriptions, supplements, or herbal remedies from different providers, often without coordination or a long-term plan.

This fragmented care increases the risk of complications and increased costs, as no single provider has a full view of each patient's health. To address these risks, and effectively manage obesity and related conditions, employees need strong support to help with medication management and sustainable lifestyle changes. Care resulting in comprehensive impact will relieve cost pressures. 

The growing multi-chronic population will push employers to rethink their approach and consolidate vendors.

Employers once relied on point solutions for individual conditions to offset cost increases, but with more than half of Americans now living with two or more chronic conditions, this approach is no longer viable. Beyond the conditions themselves, the complex interplay of symptoms, treatments, and care needs creates a fragmented experience, leaving employees juggling multiple programs and providers, leading to gaps, duplication, and wasted resources.

This new reality is pushing employers toward consolidating their vendors, seeking cross-condition, integrated partners. The focus now is on solutions that fit with existing vendors without duplication and meet the rising needs of increasingly complex populations — easing the burden of multiple chronic conditions and delivering more connected, measurable outcomes.

There will be a greater focus on and shift to relationship-based care.

Physician shortages, health care deserts, and provider burnout are highlighting the importance of personalization and trust in the provider-patient relationship. In today's fee-for-service model, quick, transactional visits result in drug therapy over 70% of the time, leaving little room to address lifestyle changes like getting quality sleep, exercise, and eating well — commonly the first line of treatment for many conditions.

Providers are exploring models that prioritize human-to-human engagement and condition management support between visits. This approach is vital for employees managing multiple conditions seeing multiple providers with uncoordinated care and those in underserved areas, where ongoing relationship-driven programming can bridge key care gaps, foster trust, and support specific needs.

Rising high-cost claims will drive earlier, proactive interventions.

High-cost claims are spiking — claims over $1 million have risen 50% in just four years. However, a proactive approach can prevent most diseases before becoming catastrophic.

To reduce costs with speed and promote better long-term health, employers should identify and support rising-risk populations before conditions escalate into expensive episodes. This means combining data-driven insights with whole-person engagement to first drive swift savings within the multi-chronic population and long-term savings by building healthier populations over time.

Charting a path forward

The trends shaping 2026 create a clear call to action: As health care costs reach double-digit increases, creative and collaborative solutions are a must. A critical first step is partnering with vendors who can demonstrate swift, measurable cost savings to achieve fast, yet sustainable, results.

Recent shifts in public-sector program policies will likely drive more people to emergency departments when health concerns arise, putting added pressure on hospitals and providers. Ultimately, these rising costs get shifted to employers and their employees through higher premiums and greater out-of-pocket expenses. The time for action and rapid cost-saving measures is now. 

Organizations that invest in integrated, whole-person support and prioritize relationship-based care — delivered by partners who prove real, near-term savings — will be best equipped to manage these rising costs while improving employee health. Condition management programs that blend innovation, evidence-based strategies, and the power of human connection will spark measurable, lasting change and help tame today's steep health costs.

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