Employers 'leading the way' on innovations that lower health care costs, improve outcomes

Council, Mercer study highlights companies’ best, brightest ideas

Frustrated by soaring health care costs without corresponding improvements in quality, employers continue to take matters into their own hands to transform the health care system on behalf of employees and their families. This is the message of Leading the Way, Volume II: Employer Innovations in Healthcare Affordability and Value, a new report from the American Benefits Council and Mercer, a business of Marsh (NYSE: MRSH).

This project is a sequel to the 2018 Council/Mercer report, Leading the Way: Employer Innovations in Health Coverage. The 2026 update, like its predecessor, spotlights more than a dozen large U.S. employers who are making strides in the areas of affordability, quality, access and holistic well-being.

“The employers featured in the report should be recognized for their leadership and creativity — but they are not outliers,” said American Benefits Council President Katy Johnson. “They are emblematic of an employer community that is deeply invested in the health and well-being of employees and their families, because employers know helping employees thrive has a measurable impact on virtually every aspect of their business. The case studies described in this report show that employers sponsoring health plans are fully committed to improving the health care system, in which employers play a major role.”

“Employers have a long track record of health care benefits innovation,” said Tracy Watts, Mercer’s US Health Policy Leader and a member of the Council’s Policy Board. “With more than 181 million Americans relying on employer-sponsored coverage, employers continually find ways to bend the health cost curve, while improving employees’ and their families’ access to quality healthcare and overall well-being. The payoff is a healthier America, stronger business performance, and greater US competitiveness.”

The report will be shared with federal and state policymakers and others to underscore the importance of enabling employers to address the challenges of our current system. The report is supplemented by specific public policy recommendations, from the Council, for legislation and other policies to support employer health plan sponsorship and innovation.

For more information on health policy matters, or to arrange an interview with Johnson or Ilyse Schuman, senior vice president, health policy, contact Jason Hammersla at jhammersla@abcstaff.org or by phone at (202) 422-4652. To speak with Watts regarding the Mercer survey data in the report, contact Cassi Lenski at cassie.lenski@marsh.com.

To download a complimentary copy of Leading the Way, Volume II: Employer Innovations in Healthcare Affordability and Value, please visit https://www.mercer.com/assets/us/en_us/shared-assets/local/attachments/pdf-american-benefits-council-innovation-report.pdf.

# # #

The American Benefits Council is a Washington D.C.-based employee benefits public policy organization. The Council advocates for employers dedicated to the achievement of best-in-class solutions that protect and encourage the health and financial well-being of their workers, retirees and families. Council members include over 220 of the world's largest corporations and collectively either directly sponsor or support sponsors of health and retirement benefits for virtually all Americans covered by employer-provided plans. Follow the Council on LinkedIn and YouTube.

Mercer is a business of Marsh (NYSE: MRSH), a global leader in risk, reinsurance and capital, people and investments, and management consulting, advising clients in 130 countries. With annual revenue of $27 billion and more than 95,000 colleagues, Marsh helps build the confidence to thrive through the power of perspective. For more information about Mercer, visit mercer.com, or follow us on LinkedIn.