News and Press | September 9, 2025
NEW YORK – September 9, 2025 – Segal, a leading benefits and HR consulting firm, today issued the 2026 Segal Health Plan Cost Trend Survey. The 29th annual report reveals GLP-1 medications, provider price inflation, increases in high-cost oncology treatments and record utilization of mental health services as the main drivers of rising healthcare costs for 2026.
Share this page
The survey of health, prescription, dental and vision plans represents over 80% of the commercially insured and self-insured market and uncovers the following:
“Soaring prescription costs are mostly driven by the preference for expensive GLP-1 medications over cheaper alternatives and lifestyle changes. That creates an expensive challenge for health plans. At the same time, drug manufacturers continue to saturate the market with new high-cost specialty products so costs aren’t coming down anytime soon,” said Edward Kaplan, the National Health Practice Leader and Senior Vice President at Segal.
“The cost of healthcare is reaching its breaking point. It is becoming more complicated to manage costs, but there is still hope for utilizing strategic practices to control your plan’s costs,” said Eileen Flick, Leader of Healthcare Informatics and Senior Vice President at Segal.
“There’s a sizeable increase in Americans using mental health services, and this has only continued to increase post-COVID. This includes a recent rise in treatment for autism, which is attributed to improved diagnostic criteria, greater awareness, enhanced insurance coverage and increased provider availability,” said Eric Miller, Vice President and Consulting Actuary at Segal.
Segal’s approach is to understand each plan’s unique goals, budget and timing, and make tailored recommendations to best align with the organization’s needs. But there are cost-management strategies that many plans can utilize to address rising costs without compromising care, including:
Additional cost-management strategies are available in the 2026 Segal Health Plan Cost Trend Survey report.
Recognized as one of the most definitive surveys on employer-sponsored health plans, the Segal survey is now in its 29th year. The survey provides industry-leading guidance on how plan sponsors can alleviate the stress of health costs. Participants include health insurers, managed care organizations (MCOs), pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and third-party administrators (TPAs). Survey respondents represent about 80 percent of the commercially insured and self-insured market. Respondents shared their trend forecasts for medical, prescription drug, dental and vision coverage and actual health cost trends based on their group health plan experience. This survey is for informational purposes only and does not constitute consulting, legal, tax or investment advice. Readers are encouraged to discuss the issues raised in the survey with their own legal, tax and other advisors before taking or refraining from taking any actions.
Health, Healthcare Industry, Higher Education, Multiemployer Plans, Architecture Engineering & Construction, Public Sector, Pharmaceutical, Corporate
Health, Multiemployer Plans, Public Sector, Healthcare Industry, Higher Education, Architecture Engineering & Construction, Pharmaceutical, Corporate
Health, Multiemployer Plans, Public Sector, Healthcare Industry, Higher Education, Architecture Engineering & Construction, Pharmaceutical, Corporate
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax or investment advice. You are encouraged to discuss the issues raised here with your legal, tax and other advisors before determining how the issues apply to your specific situations.
© 2025 by The Segal Group, Inc.Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Style Guide California Residents Sitemap Disclosure of Compensation Required Notices