A continued rise in high-cost chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease and cancer, along with higher prices for prescription drugs, will push employer health care costs upward for the third consecutive year, global professional services firm Aon announced on Sept. 10.
Health care costs are predicted to rise by 9.5 percent in 2026 to more than $17,000 per employee, Aon said. In addition to escalating costs to treat chronic health conditions, employee health care costs are rising due to expansions among health care providers’ networks that allow them to see higher volumes of patients, Aon said.
Increased use of brand-name and expensive specialty medications—specifically, high-demand GLP-1 medications such as Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound that are used to treat adult obesity—is spearheading the rise in prescription drug costs, Aon noted….