The Drug Starts the Loss. The System Stops the Rebound.

Here's the uncomfortable part of this renewal season: the number on your renewal letter is not the problem. It's the receipt. Depending on which survey you read, employers are looking at a 2026 medical trend somewhere between 6.5% and 10% — Mercer puts it at 6.5% *after* cost-cutting measures (closer to 9% if you do nothing), Business Group on Health at a 9% median, Aon at 9.5%, the International Foundation at 10%. Pick your source; they all point the same direction. This is