Half (51 per cent) of U.S. employers with 500 or more employees say they’re likely or very likely to make plan design changes in 2026 that would shift more costs to employees, such as raising deductibles or out-of-pocket maximums, according to a new survey by Mercer.
The survey, which polled more than 500 large-sized companies, found employers, on average, project their benefits costs to increase by six per cent next year.
More than a third (35 per cent) of employers said they’re considering offering employees a non-traditional medical plan option, such as a variable copay plan, to provide more cost-effective care. Among employers currently offering a variable copay plan (six per cent), more than a quarter (28 per cent) said employees chose to enrol in these plans in 2025.
Read: 73% of employers say rising benefits costs a top issue in 2025: survey
Six in 10 (61 per cent) said they’re actively exploring some type of alternative to standard pharmacy benefit contracts that would potentially provide greater clarity about the cost of drugs or specific services offered by pharmacy benefit managers.
Three-quarters (77 per cent) of employers said managing the cost of glucagon-like peptide-1 drugs is a top priority. While employers have long covered for GLP-1 medications diabetes, fewer than half (44 per cent) of employers said they cover the drugs specifically approved to treat obesity.
More than 75 per cent of companies said they plan to offer digital stress management or resiliency resources in 2026, such as mindfulness and meditation apps or apps grounded in cognitive behavioural therapy. Half (51 per cent) said they plan to introduce in-person or live online resources for stress management and resiliency, such as individual or group training sessions or coaching.
Read: North American employers prioritizing employee productivity, benefits costs in 2025: report