Employer health-benefit costs per employee are projected to rise 8.2% in 2027, the steepest increase since 2003 and the fifth consecutive year of increases, according to preliminary results from Marsh's 2026 National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans. To hold the increase even to that level, 59% of employers plan cost-cutting changes to their health benefits, while without any mitigation employers estimate their current plans would cost 11% more. The projection is a cost-per-employee figure, not a forecast of any individual worker's payroll deduction, but it gives 65-year-olds still working on a large-employer plan a concrete reason to compare their company coverage with Medicare. The catch is that enrolling in any part of Medicare, including premium-free Part A, ends HSA eligibility beginning with the month coverage takes effect, and the annual contribution limit is then prorated by eligible months. Filing for Social Security after age 65 triggers automatic Part A enrollment backdated up to six months, which can lower the prorated limit after the fact and leave excess contributions subject to income tax plus a 6% excise tax for each year they sit uncorrected. The 2026 standard Part B premium is $202.90, up $17.90 from $185.00 in 2025, and the income-related adjustment begins above $109,000 in modified adjusted gross income for a single filer, with the top tier carrying a total Part B premium of $689.90 per month.
Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc.Marsh's survey projects employer health-benefit costs rising 8.2% in 2027, highlighting demand for its benefits consulting and health-plan advisory services
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