Hey, here’s some more good news:
U.S. businesses are facing the biggest health-insurance cost increases in at least 15 years, after already-steep boosts in recent years that have pushed the annual expense for family coverage high enough to equal the price of a small car.
Costs for employer coverage are expected to surge about 9.5% in 2026, according to an estimate from Aon, while an employer survey by WTW suggested 9.2%. Both benefits-consulting firms’ projections, which were provided exclusively to The Wall Street Journal, would represent the fastest rate of increase since at least 2011, when the price tags for employer coverage were far lower than the recent average of roughly $25,500 for a family plan.
Other employer surveys conducted this year have generated similar findings—sharp hikes in health-coverage spending for next year, on top of two years of significant increases.
“It’s an unsustainable number for a lot of employers,” said Shawn Gremminger, chief executive of the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions, which represents employers. The reaction from employers to the increases “ranges between upset, shocked, freaked-out and resigned,” he said.
I’m sure this must be Joe Biden’s fault. Or, at least, “the left.” It will be interesting to see how they spin this.
Keep in mind that Dr. Oz, in charge of Medicare and Medicaid, is talking about withholding treatment that AI says is unnecessary, so that’s another way to save money.