Marsh sees US employer health benefit costs rising 8.2% in 2027, highest since 2003

• Marsh projects US employer health benefit costs per employee will rise 8.2% on average in 2027, the highest since 2003.
• Without cost-reduction steps, employers estimate current plan costs would rise 11%.
• Forecast implies a fifth straight year of elevated growth; the average projected increase for 2026 was 6.7%.
• GLP-1 weight-loss drugs account for about 1 percentage point of the 2027 increase, alongside higher claims intensity from AI billing tools.
• Survey shows 59% of employers plan benefit cuts in 2027; about two-thirds of large employers expect higher employee premium shares.

Disclaimer: This news brief was created by Public Technologies (PUBT) using generative artificial intelligence. While PUBT strives to provide accurate and timely information, this AI-generated content is for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as financial, investment, or legal advice. MMC - Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc. published the original content used to generate this news brief via Business Wire (Ref. ID: 20260902423651) on September 02, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained therein.