Core and Group Health

The Medicare benefits bill could have a big indirect effect on what employer plans choose to cover.

Premier represents $84 billion in group purchasing power and holds more than 3,000 active negotiated contracts with more than 1,400 suppliers and manufacturers.

Benefits professionals would be wise to recognize these schemes for what they are — and avoid them.

Republicans say the department is too slow; Democrats say the benefits agency's budget is too tight.

Benefits executives at <a href="https://www.benefitspro.com/2025/07/14/gallagher-31-of-employers-enhance-medical-benefits-for-talent/" target="_blank" link-data="{&quot;cms.site.owner&quot;:{&quot;_ref&quot;:&quot;0000018e-8611-dbad-a9af-fe79f4ec0000&quot;,&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;ae3387cc-b875-31b7-b82d-63fd8d758c20&quot;},&quot;cms.content.publishDate&quot;:1758557092905,&quot;cms.content.publishUser&quot;:{&quot;_ref&quot;:&quot;00000192-f502-d200-a19b-fd17f90c0000&quot;,&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;6aa69ae1-35be-30dc-87e9-410da9e1cdcc&quot;},&quot;cms.content.updateDate&quot;:1758557092905,&quot;cms.content.updateUser&quot;:{&quot;_ref&quot;:&quot;00000192-f502-d200-a19b-fd17f90c0000&quot;,&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;6aa69ae1-35be-30dc-87e9-410da9e1cdcc&quot;},&quot;link&quot;:{&quot;attributes&quot;:[],&quot;target&quot;:&quot;NEW&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.benefitspro.com/2025/07/14/gallagher-31-of-employers-enhance-medical-benefits-for-talent/&quot;,&quot;_id&quot;:&quot;00000199-722b-d5eb-a7db-f32fad040000&quot;,&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df&quot;},&quot;theme.bundle-default.:link:LinkEnhancement.hbs._template&quot;:null,&quot;theme.bundle-default.:link:LinkEnhancement.hbs._preset&quot;:null,&quot;_id&quot;:&quot;00000199-722b-d5eb-a7db-f32fad040001&quot;,&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266&quot;}">Gallagher</a> expect the cost of stop-loss insurance to rise faster than the cost of fully insured group health coverage next year.

To tackle these financial challenges, employers’ top priorities over the next three years are company medical costs, company pharmacy costs, and affordability for employees.