Segal Survey Projects Health Plan Cost Trend to Reach 15-Year Historic Highs Driven by GLP-1s, Inflation, AI, and Surprise Billing Arbitration
Segal, a leading benefits and HR consulting firm, today issued the 2027 Segal Health Plan Cost Trend Survey. The 30th annual survey report reveals that health plan cost trends for employer-sponsored benefits are approaching their highest levels in 15 years, with the median trend for medical plans expected to reach 9.9 percent.
Segal’s comprehensive survey represents over 80 percent of the commercially insured and self-insured market and reveals a variety of forces accelerating health plan costs behind the scenes: inflationary pressure, AI implementation, a broken dispute resolution process and increasing consolidation in the market.
“We have seen elevated medical trends for several years, but costs now feel like they’re reaching a breaking point,” said Edward Kaplan, National Health Practice Leader and Senior Vice President at Segal. “Employers and Taft-Hartley plans are under intense cost pressures to manage the affordability of wage increases, price inflation and health benefit commitments, forcing more difficult choices for decision-makers.”
