When Healthcare Costs Rise, Look First to Hospital Efficiency The latest projections from Mercer paint a bleak picture for American employers: a 6. 7% increase in healthcare costs in 2026, the steepest rise in 15 years.
With average costs expected to surpass $18,500 per employee, many are left wondering how to absorb the blow or pass it on to workers.
Before reaching for their wallets, companies would do well to ask a simple question: Are we using what we're already paying for efficiently?