For Episode 90 of Astonishing Healthcare, Jim Winkler, Chief Strategy Officer at Business Group on Health, joins us in the studio for a lively discussion about the results of their 2026 Employer Health Care Strategy Survey! This annual study is packed with qualitative and quantitative information and highlights the top trends in employer-sponsored health care. Jim brings decades of experience to the table and puts helpful context around the headline data and employers' expectation for a ~9% year-over-year health care cost increase. He also shares his perspective on the evolution of the role benefits brokers and consultants play, how employers can navigate the rapidly evolving market and inflationary storm, vendor accountability, and how to position difficult decisions around making big changes.

Discussion Highlights

• Costs are expected to rise 9% in 2026, marking the worst multi-year surge in over a decade; it’s another year of healthcare costs rising by more than benefits teams forecasted.
• Pharmacy's share of the total cost has jumped to 24%, driven by expensive GLP-1 and cancer drugs, and some other new cost drivers include mental health and autoimmune conditions.
• Proactive employers have been reviewing their data and are optimizing their programs, cutting underused solutions, investing where there’s a tangible return, and tightening controls on high-cost treatments.
• Employers are aggressively scrutinizing partners and exploring alternative PBM and health plan models, as they should be (vendor accountability has become increasingly important over the years) - change is imminent (i.e., expect an acceleration of RFP activity).

Additional Resources

• 2025 Employer Well-being Strategy Survey: Executive Summary
• Business Group on Health - Resources (Surveys, Data, etc.)

Related Content

• How employers can take back control of unnecessary pharmacy spending
• Replay - Strategic Well-Being: Rethinking Health Benefits to Empower Employees and Drive Impact
• Signs it is time to change your PBM vendor, and how to overcome common hesitations
• Health Benefits 101: The Importance of a Transparent PBM Model

For more content and information about this episode, including the show notes and transcript, please visit Judi Health - Insights.