Health benefit costs are rising for U.S. employers, a new survey show. According to data, costs rose 3.6% in 2018, and projections suggest they could go up 4.4% this year. This is likely to hit smaller employers harder. Employers identified “monitoring and managing high cost claims” as their leading strategy to manage health benefits moving forward, followed by “creating a culture of health.” Wellness is a key focus for most employers, and they mentioned telehealth and point solutions as some of their benefit offerings to address this. Elsewhere, employers have identified several cost-containment strategies, such as raising PPO deductibles, providing financial incentives for health assessments/screenings, and offering account-base, consumer-directed health plans. Read the full article.
