Employee-Paid

"By taking a realistic look at your health status and health care expenses as part of your overall retirement plan and budgeting accordingly, you position yourself to enjoy a less stressful, financially healthier retirement," the report said.

Too often, Ben Link says, the plan's actual value depends on what the PBM does to the parameters.

WTW is seeing at least temporary signs of employer GLP-1 coverage stability at a time when other benefits firms are reporting signs that the cost of covering the drugs for treatment of obesity may be unsustainable.

Analysts predict more competitive contracts would cut plan sponsors' costs by an average of 6.5%.

"In stop-loss, we're seeing average premium increases in the mid-teens, in some cases, above 20%," William Ziebell, the chief executive officer of Gallagher's employee benefits consulting and brokerage business said.

People with employer coverage report a much higher level of confusion than Medicare enrollees.