As health plan costs continue to increase, more employers intend to change or reduce their 2026 benefit offerings to control spending, according to July 16 survey results from Mercer.

For instance, 51% of large employers (defined as those with 500 or more employees) said they’re likely — or very likely — to make plan changes that would shift more costs to employees, such as raising deductibles or out-of-pocket maximums. The percentage increased from 45% in 2024.

“Employers project average health benefit costs to grow by nearly 6% this year, and 2026 may be even more challenging from a cost perspective,” Ed Lehman, leader of U.S. health and benefits at Mercer, said in a statement.

“While short-term cost containment actions might be needed to address current budget realities, we also s

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