U.S. employer health care costs are projected to increase 9.5% in 2026, exceeding $17,000 per employee, according to data released Wednesday by Aon plc.
The increase marks the third consecutive year of health care cost trends approaching double digits. Rising chronic conditions, including musculoskeletal and cardiovascular disease, along with high-cost conditions like cancer, are driving the escalating medical costs.
Hospital workforce expansion is enabling greater patient throughput, contributing to higher health care utilization. Prescription drug spending is also rising due to increased use of costly brand-name and specialty medications, particularly GLP-1 therapies for diabetes and obesity treatment.
“We are seeing
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