Aon: U.S. Employer Health Care Costs Projected to Increase 9 Percent Next Year
Aon plc projects a 9% increase in U.S. employer-sponsored health care costs for 2025, with average costs expected to exceed $16,000 per employee. This increase is higher than the 6.4% rise experienced from 2023 to 2024. Key factors driving the surge include:
1. Elevated medical claims
2. Rising prescription drug costs, especially specialty drugs
3. Increased utilization of GLP-1 medications for diabetes and obesity
4. Inflation-driven wage increases in the healthcare sector
Employers are bearing the brunt of these cost increases, subsidizing about 81% of plan costs. The technology and communications industry faces the highest average employer cost increase at 7.4%. Aon's Health Risk Analyzer uses machine learning to help employers predict high-cost claimants and manage risks more effectively.
Aon plc prevede un aumento del 9% dei costi delle cure sanitarie sponsorizzate dai datori di lavoro negli Stati Uniti per il 2025, con i costi medi che supereranno 16.000 dollari per dipendente. Questo aumento è superiore al rialzo del 6,4% registrato dal 2023 al 2024. I fattori chiave che guidano questa impennata includono:
1. Aumenti significativi delle richieste mediche
2. Aumento dei costi dei farmaci, in particolare quelli da specialità
3. Maggiore utilizzo di farmaci GLP-1 per il diabete e l'obesità
4. Aumenti salariali nel settore sanitario spinti dall'inflazione
I datori di lavoro sopportano il peso di questi aumenti di costo, sovvenzionando circa l'81% dei costi dei piani. Il settore della tecnologia e delle comunicazioni affronta il maggiore aumento medio dei costi per i datori di lavoro, pari al 7,4%. L'Health Risk Analyzer di Aon utilizza l'apprendimento automatico per aiutare i datori di lavoro a prevedere i richiedenti di elevati costi e gestire i rischi in modo più efficace.
Aon plc proyecta un aumento del 9% en los costos de atención médica patrocinados por empleadores en EE. UU. para 2025, con costos promedio que se espera superen $16,000 por empleado. Este aumento es superior al incremento del 6.4% experimentado de 2023 a 2024. Los factores clave que impulsan este aumento incluyen:
1. Afirmaciones médicas elevadas
2. Aumento de los costos de medicamentos, especialmente los de especialidad
3. Mayor uso de medicamentos GLP-1 para la diabetes y la obesidad
4. Incrementos salariales impulsados por la inflación en el sector de la salud
Los empleadores están soportando la mayor parte de estos aumentos de costos, subsidiando alrededor del 81% de los costos del plan. La industria de la tecnología y las comunicaciones enfrenta el mayor aumento promedio de costos para empleadores, con un 7.4%. El Analizador de Riesgo de Salud de Aon utiliza aprendizaje automático para ayudar a los empleadores a predecir a los reclamantes de alto costo y gestionar los riesgos de manera más efectiva.
Aon plc는 2025년 미국 고용주 후원 건강 관리 비용이 9% 증가할 것으로 예상하며, 평균 비용이 직원당 $16,000을 초과할 것으로 보입니다. 이 증가율은 2023년에서 2024년 사이의 6.4% 상승보다 높습니다. 급증의 주요 원인은 다음과 같습니다:
1. 높은 의료 청구
2. 특히 전문약의 약가 상승
3. 당뇨병 및 비만 치료를 위한 GLP-1 약물의 사용 증가
4. 의료 부문에서의 인플레이션에 따른 임금 인상
고용주들은 이러한 비용 증가의 부담을 대거 지고 있으며, 계획 비용의 약 81%를 보조하고 있습니다. 기술 및 통신 산업은 7.4%로 고용주 비용 증가율이 가장 높습니다. Aon의 Health Risk Analyzer는 머신 러닝을 활용하여 고용주가 고비용 청구자를 예측하고 위험을 보다 효과적으로 관리할 수 있도록 돕습니다.
Aon plc prévoit une augmentation de 9% des coûts des soins de santé sponsorisés par les employeurs aux États-Unis pour 2025, avec des coûts moyens qui devraient dépasser 16 000 $ par employé. Cette hausse est plus élevée que l'augmentation de 6,4% observée entre 2023 et 2024. Les principaux facteurs à l'origine de cette flambée sont :
1. Des demandes médicales élevées
2. Une augmentation des coûts des médicaments, en particulier des médicaments de spécialité
3. Une utilisation accrue de médicaments GLP-1 pour le diabète et l'obésité
4. Des augmentations de salaires dans le secteur de la santé, entraînées par l'inflation
Les employeurs supportent le poids de ces augmentations de coûts, subventionnant environ 81% des coûts des plans. Le secteur de la technologie et des communications fait face à la plus forte augmentation moyenne des coûts pour les employeurs, avec 7,4%. L'Analyser de Risque de Santé d'Aon utilise l'apprentissage automatique pour aider les employeurs à prévoir les demandeurs de coûts élevés et à gérer les risques de manière plus efficace.
Aon plc prognostiziert einen Anstieg der von Arbeitgebern gesponserten Gesundheitskosten in den USA um 9% für 2025, wobei die durchschnittlichen Kosten voraussichtlich 16.000 US-Dollar pro Mitarbeiter übersteigen werden. Dieser Anstieg ist höher als der Anstieg von 6,4%, der von 2023 bis 2024 verzeichnet wurde. Zu den entscheidenden Faktoren, die den Anstieg antreiben, gehören:
1. Hohe medizinische Ansprüche
2. Steigende Kosten für verschreibungspflichtige Medikamente, insbesondere für Spezialmedikamente
3. Erhöhte Nutzung von GLP-1-Medikamenten bei Diabetes und Fettleibigkeit
4. Lohnerhöhungen im Gesundheitssektor, die durch Inflation getrieben werden
Arbeitgeber tragen die Hauptlast dieser Kostensteigerungen und subventionieren etwa 81% der Plan kosten. Die Technologie- und Kommunikationsbranche sieht sich dem höchsten durchschnittlichen Anstieg der Arbeitgeberkosten mit 7,4% gegenüber. Der Health Risk Analyzer von Aon nutzt maschinelles Lernen, um Arbeitgebern zu helfen, kostspielige Antragsteller vorherzusagen und Risiken effektiver zu managen.
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This projected increase, which assumes employers do not implement employee cost sharing increases and other cost saving strategies, is higher than the 6.4 percent increase to health care budgets that employers experienced from 2023 to 2024 after cost savings strategies. On average, the budgeted health-plan cost for clients is
Medical claims continue to trend at elevated levels, while prescription drug costs are climbing higher due to continued growth in specialty drugs and increased utilization of GLP-1 medications for diabetes and obesity.
"In the health care sector, both rising employment levels and wage increases fueled by economy-wide inflation during the past few years are pushing health care costs higher," said Debbie Ashford, the
"On the prescription drug side, specialty drugs remain the leading factor in spending, even though they represent a small fraction of overall utilization. The demand for GLP-1 medications has skyrocketed, and a surge in news drugs in the GLP-1 category is expected to drive up costs even further, adding 1 percent to the aggregate health care cost increase," Ashford added.
"We are at a pivotal time in helping employers think about balancing the costs of GLP-1 prescription drugs with the opportunity they provide to treat obesity and reduce the chronic conditions associated with this disease," said Farheen Dam, North American Health Solutions leader at Aon. "It's imperative that employers consider the clinical evidence and health benefits as well as the near-term cost impacts."
Increase to
In terms of 2024 health plans, employer costs increased 6.4 percent, while employee premiums from pay checks were slated to be a more modest 3.4 percent increase from 2023, according to Aon's analysis. Both are notably higher than averages from the prior five years, when employer budgets grew an average of 4.4 percent per year and employees averaged 1.2 percent per year.** On average, employers subsidize about 81 percent of the plan cost, while employees pay the remainder.
Plan Cost** | 2023 | 2024 | Change from |
Employer Cost | 6.4 % | ||
Employee Premiums from Paycheck | 3.4 % | ||
Total Plan Cost | 5.8 % | ||
Employer Subsidy | 80.2 % | 80.7 % | 0.5 % |
"Employers continue to bear the brunt of rising health care costs," Dam said. "Plan sponsors are wary of passing significant expenses onto plan participants, striving to keep benefits affordable."
Employees in 2024 are contributing about
Employee Costs*** | 2023 | 2024 | Change from |
Employee Premiums from Paycheck | 3.4 % | ||
Employee Out-of-Pocket Costs | 2.3 % | ||
Total Employee Costs | 2.9 % | ||
Increase by Industry to
The rate of health care cost increases vary by industry, as does the proportion of cost shared by the employer plan sponsor and employee. The technology and communications industry has the highest average employer cost increase at 7.4 percent, while the public sector has the highest average employee cost increase at 6.7 percent. The health care industry has the lowest average change in employee contributions, with no material change from 2023.
Projected 2023 to 2024 Increase | Employer | EE Contributions | Plan Cost |
Manufacturing | 5.2 % | 4.0 % | 4.9 % |
Retail and Wholesale Trade | 2.4 % | 0.3 % | 1.9 % |
Public Sector | 7.3 % | 6.7 % | 7.2 % |
Health Care | 5.8 % | -0.1 % | 4.6 % |
Technology and Communications | 7.4 % | 5.0 % | 7.0 % |
Finance and Insurance | 7.2 % | 2.5 % | 6.2 % |
Professional Services | 6.7 % | 6.3 % | 6.6 % |
Using Predictive Analytics to Identify Emerging Risks and Refine Budgeting Processes
High-cost claims continue to be an issue for employers and are being driven by emerging high-cost gene and cell therapies, complex procedures and a rise in chronic conditions. Aon recently launched its Health Risk Analyzer, which uses advanced machine learning to help employers predict high-cost claimants and gain a deeper understanding of which conditions will drive future health care spending so they can more proactively budget for these costs and implement targeted strategies to manage their highest-risk plan members.
"Self-insured plan sponsors face challenges in providing stable plan increases, funding and renewals in this volatile environment," Dam said. "Combining Aon's Health Risk Analyzer and the firm's health risk financing and reinsurance capabilities, plan sponsors are able to access new funding and risk transfer strategies, allowing flexibility in funding of plan costs and converting unexpected volatility into predictable and planned expenses."
* The projection is applicable in a status quo environment when employers do not make changes or implement care management programs. Aon consultants expect many employers to implement cost-saving changes or programs to help mitigate this increase.
** Plan costs represent the employer's and employee's combined premiums for medical and prescription drug costs but exclude employee out-of-pocket payments such as deductibles, co-pays and co-insurance.
*** Based on the weighted average cost of clients in Aon's analysis in both 2023 and 2024.
Aon's Health Value Initiative
The historical information and projections shown above were developed using Aon's Health Value Initiative database, which captures healthcare costs and benefit designs for more than 950 U.S. employers representing 6.7 million employees and
About Aon
Aon plc (NYSE: AON) exists to shape decisions for the better — to protect and enrich the lives of people around the world. Through actionable analytic insight, globally integrated Risk Capital and Human Capital expertise, and locally relevant solutions, our colleagues in over 120 countries provide our clients with the clarity and confidence to make better risk and people decisions that protect and grow their businesses.
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Disclaimer
The information contained in this document is solely for information purposes, for general guidance only and is not intended to address the circumstances of any particular individual or entity. Although Aon endeavors to provide accurate and timely information and uses sources that it considers reliable, the firm does not warrant, represent or guarantee the accuracy, adequacy, completeness or fitness for any purpose of any content of this document and can accept no liability for any loss incurred in any way by any person who may rely on it. There can be no guarantee that the information contained in this document will remain accurate as on the date it is received or that it will continue to be accurate in the future. No individual or entity should make decisions or act based solely on the information contained herein without appropriate professional advice and targeted research.
Media Contact
Robert Elfinger
+1 312 381 0071
robert.elfinger@aon.com
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SOURCE Aon plc
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