Employer Health Care Costs Expected to Increase 4.1% for 2015

Key findings from the annual Towers Watson/NBGH Best Practices in Health Care Employer Survey include:

·         Employers expect a 4.1% rate of increase in the cost of employer-sponsored health care benefits in 2015.

·         Health care costs for 2015 are expected to average $12,041 per employee, up from $11,567 in 2014.

·         Employer confidence in offering health coverage 10 years from now increased from 25% in 4014 to 44%.

·         On average, employees will pay 22.2% of total premium costs in 2015, or $223 a month on average.

·         82% of companies offered an account-based health plan (ABHP) in 2015 and 4% will add one in 2016.

·         Half of employers have used new coverage/utilization restrictions to curb high cost specialty pharmacy.

Source: Towers Watson, October 6, 2015