Automation is the brokers' key to reducing benefits overspending

Automation simulation on a laptop.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. employers have faced escalating costs in employee benefits, from medical to voluntary benefits. For example, health care costs alone are expected to increase by 7.7% in 2025, compared to 6.9% in 2024 and 6.5% in 2023, according to WTW’s 2024 Best Practices in Healthcare Survey. Rising costs are pushing employers toward ways to manage benefits spending while maintaining quality coverage for their employees and families. This places additional pressure on brokers, who are not only responsible for helping companies manage and control these expenses but also for navigating the cumbersome administrative tasks associated with managing a diverse range of benefits.

With benefit costs on the rise, companies are dedicating additional time and resources analyzing bills each month to understand their bills, along with making sure they are accurate in the first place. Many are relying heavily on their brokers for help and juggling multiple, manually created spreadsheets. This administrative burden can draw attention away from initiatives like optimizing benefits offerings.