Soaring demand for weight-loss drugs and general inflation pushed up the average costs for U.S. employer-provided health 𒈔care this year,🐼 according to a new survey.

Research by Marsh & McClennan (MMC)-owned human resources consulting firm Mercer found the average per-employee cost for 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:health coverage was 5.2% higher at $15,797. The company noted that was well above the average annual increase of about 3% recorded since 2012. The coverage cost rose by 3.2% in 2022.

Along with inflation, health care costs this year were driven by a sharp rise in spending on prescription drugs, with pharmacy benefit expenses up 8.4%, Mercer found. A “spike” in the use of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:drugs to treat diabetes and obesity, such as those in Novo Nordisk’s (NVO) Ozempic and We꧃govy, “has had a notable impact on costs.”

The high price of those medicines, and the large number of patients who could benefit from them, “can result in a substantial net new cost to a 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:health plan,” Mercer said. Because they are maintenan🅷ce drugs, insurers could be paying for coverage over many years, t♊he company said. 

Sunit Patel, chief health actuary at Mercer, pointed out the firm's survey showed employers expect the cost of health coverage will be up another 5.2% in 2024. It's likely employers will continue to pay more because it may take another couple of years for price hikes from higher 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:health care worker wages anܫd medical supply costs to affec🌟t health plan costs, he said.