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For benefits professionals, administering employer sponsored health plans and providing employee participants with access to affordable, quality health care is one of the greatest economic challenges of today — and the foreseeable future.

The average cost of medical coverage (regardless of plan type) is $5,330 for single coverage and $13,998 for family coverage, with employers contributing 72% toward the cost of single coverage and 70% for family coverage, says a new report.

Many insurers are offering smaller networks of doctors and hospitals, and problems arise when patients cannot find local in-network providers and must pay more for out-of-network care or travel farther for in-network care.

The new report found that employers see health benefits as a valuable recruitment and retention tool and have worked hard to keep such benefits.

"ICHRAs allow employers to offer a spendable allowance to employees to shop for individual health insurance from the entire marketplace of options," says Annie Bushey, client executive at Holmes Murphy & Associates.

Starting in 2026, a proposed CMS rule would require plans to respond to a standard request within seven days, typically, instead of the current 14, and within 72 hours for urgent requests.

Health insurance has become so expensive and complicated, most employers leave everything to the big insurance companies, who then take advantage of their ignorance and their desire to stay that way. But it's possible to take the power back.

The DOJ alleges that the chairman and former CEO of telehealth provider Ontrak dumped more than $20 million in company stock based on inside knowledge that it was about to lose a contract with Cigna, its largest customer.