Which may mean more cost sharing plans in 2026!

In a recent press release by the Society of Human Resource Managers (SHRM) healthcare costs are targeted to increase by at least 10% by the end of 2025. Some say that the primary drivers of these increases are increases in catastrophic claims (cancer treatments) along with an increased use of specialty and prescription drugs (ex. weight loss injectables etc.) to address chronic issues.

SHRM is speculating that organizations are likely to turn to cost-sharing and other strategies to offset these increased costs. 

“While the trend over the past couple of years has been to add coverage for GLP-1s approved for weight loss, some employers facing large cost increases in 2026 may feel this coverage is out of reach,” reports one pharmaceutical expert. SHRM reports that 27% of their annual survey responders said they were looking for plans that would pass on more costs to employees by raising deductibles, co-pays, and premiums – up from the 21% of employers who reported the same intent last year. 

The SHRM data is reinforced in a recent study by Mercer which reported that over 51% of larger employers (i.e. organizations with 500 or more employees) are likely shift more costs to employees through raising deductibles, out-of-pocket maximums, etc. That’s up from 45% who made the same prediction last year. It is projected that employers will be looking for higher-deductible health plans and prioritizing plans that offer telemedicine, and price transparency tools.