More often than not,
According to Mercer, healthcare benefit costs will jump by 5.4% in 2024, outdoing a decade-long average of annual increases that fell between 3% and 4%. Fueled by factors like the record inflation rates of 2022, provider shortages and deferred care due to the pandemic,
"The healthcare costs and affordability trend is certainly not new this year," says Kelsay. "But what is especially concerning as we look to the year ahead is the rate of increase being higher than it has been historically."
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But rising healthcare costs isn't the only concern employers should have on their radars. Business Group on Health rounded up different trends that will shape the healthcare landscape in 2024, from the fight for prescription drug transparency to potential policy changes around ERISA. The next year won't be easy, but Kelsay believes informed employers still have the power to influence what healthcare looks like in this country.
Here are six healthcare trends to watch in 2024, according to