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Health care costs for employer plans are rising again, and many forecasts indicate even larger increases in 2026 and 2027. That means renewals will be more complex, more strategic, and higher stakes. Brokers who rely on manual workflows and spreadsheets will struggle to keep up. Firms that adopt automation and AI now will be able to protect clients, reduce errors, and scale without adding headcount.
Multiple industry studies and surveys indicate stronger health care cost pressure heading into 2026. Employers are predicting steep cost increases before plan design changes, with median forecasts around 9 percent for 2026, and projections remain elevated even when employers plan benefit changes. Business Group on Health
Consulting firms see similar trends. McKinsey estimates that employer healthcare costs could rise by roughly 9 to 10 percent through 2026, driven by medical inflation, specialty drugs, and rising utilization. McKinsey & Company Mercer’s research also shows employers expecting one of the largest year over year increases in recent memory, with employers estimating roughly a 9 to 10 percent rise after they implement cost management measures, and higher without changes.
On the household side, premiums are already climbing. KFF reports annual family premiums for employer coverage rose about 6 percent in 2025 and are approaching $27,000 per year on average. These are not small, incremental changes. They reshape employer budgets and employee expectations.
Key drivers include post-pandemic utilization catching up, rising prices for services and labor, and major new spending in specialty pharmacy, including GLP-1 weight loss and other high-cost therapies. These trends are compounding and persistent, and many forecasters expect the pressure to continue into next year.
Bottom line: rising costs make accuracy, speed, and repeatable processes more valuable than ever.
We built Plansight for this exact moment: a market where speed, accuracy, and repeatability matter as much as relationships.
Rising health prices are not neutral; they accelerate change. Brokers who respond by doubling down on manual processes will suffer more churn and stress. Brokers who adopt automation and smarter workflows will win trust, protect margins, and scale their businesses without the all-night scrambles.
If you want a practical, low-friction way to start, we are running discovery sessions to model what the next renewal season could look like for your book. In 15 minutes, we can show where your team is losing hours during renewals and how much time Plansight could give back to them next year.
If you haven’t seen Plansight in action and you want to, book a discovery call with us.
At the end of the day, Plansight is more than just software. It is a partner built with brokerages and their benefits teams in mind. Plansight is the only end-to-end benefits marketing platform that uses AI and automation to ensure every renewal and RFP is consistent, accurate, and fast.
From SmartSheetingAI™ to RFP automation to side-by-side comparisons to the intelligence of PlansightAI, everything we create is designed to lighten the load, reduce risk, and elevate your client relationships. Your team is your greatest asset, and Plansight is here to make sure they have the tools, insights, and support to shine.
Plansight works alongside leading General Agencies to help brokers move faster, stay compliant, and deliver a better client experience. You can explore our trusted GA partners here.
For brokers, Plansight transforms a manual, time-consuming RFP process into one that is faster, more efficient, and more profitable, without sacrificing accuracy or control.
