Employee Benefits

Average health plan premiums rose more modestly in 2020. At 5.4%, up slightly from the 4.6% increase in 2019, but still considerably less than the nearly 10% increase seen in 2018 (which marked a ten-year high).

As the Coronovirus pandemic sweeps the nation in 2020, a crucial pillar supporting the U.S. workforce is employer-sponsored healthcare. While we wait to see how postponed preventive care and delayed elective surgeries will affect the health of the nation's workforce, and how the total costs of COVID-19 testing, treatment, and vaccinations will be financed, we are already leveraging our local knowledge, as well as the data from this survey to recommend renewal strategies for 2021.

While These National Trends Tell One Story, There Are Significant Differences In Some Areas Of The Country, As Well As Within Different Industries Or Group Sizes.

The balance of this report expands on these national trends but also uncovers more localized findings that are critical when benchmarking more strategically.

Always mindful of the exponential increases in prescription drug costs, particularly for chronic conditions and specialty care, employers and carriers alike continue to seek ways to mitigate these costs in order to hold premiums in line.

Data within this Trend at a Glance is based on the 2020 UBA Health Plan Survey and are based on responses from 11,788 employers sponsoring 21,980 health plans covering 1,366,186 employees nationwide. Reseco Insurance Advisors is a member of United Benefit Advisors (UBA) and by using this data, we can help employers more accurately evaluate costs, contrast the current benefit plan’s effectiveness against competitors’ plans, and adjust accordingly. This gives employers a distinct competitive edge in negotiating rates—and recruiting and retaining a superior workforce.