Major companies to rein in health care spending in 2027

By the Editorial Team · Thursday, September 17, 2026

Several major U.S. employers, including Walt Disney, Starbucks, and Bloomberg, are changing their health care benefits in 2027 to curb rising medical costs, often shifting more expenses onto employees through higher premiums and reduced coverage. These adjustments reflect a wider trend toward increased employee financial responsibility amid soaring health care spending, with some companies exploring new models like individual coverage health reimbursement arrangements to manage costs.

Several major employers in the United States are planning to implement changes to their health care benefits in 2027 as a response to rapidly rising medical costs. Companies including Walt Disney Co., Bloomberg LP, Starbucks, Deloitte, and the City of Dallas are taking various measures aimed at controlling expenses, which may result in higher out-of-pocket costs and reduced coverage options for employees.

Health care spending in the commercial sector is projected to increase sharply next year, with consulting firm PwC forecasting a 9% rise, the largest since the early 2000s. Another insurer, Aon, estimates costs could climb even higher, by 9.5%, pushing average annual employer-sponsored health expenses above $19,000 per employee. In light of these projections, companies are reassessing their health plans to manage the financial impact.

Walt Disney Co. has announced that, starting in 2027, it will no longer provide health coverage for spouses if they have access to employer-sponsored insurance themselves. This change affects over 200,000 U.S.-based employees. Starbucks has taken steps that include nearly doubling insurance premiums for certain workers and reducing the employer’s share of the cost, in addition to dropping coverage for GLP-1 weight-loss medications from October. Bloomberg is introducing monthly premium contributions for employees for the first time. Deloitte is reducing paid parental leave to eight weeks for its “Center” talent segment employees, mainly in IT, finance, and administration, and ending its adoption, surrogacy, and IVF reimbursement program as well as pension accruals for those workers after the end of this year. The Dallas City Council was scheduled to vote on September 16 on a proposal to eliminate its copay insurance plan and discontinue coverage for GLP-1 drugs used for weight loss.

These initiatives reflect a broader trend of shifting more health care costs onto employees. A survey by consulting firm Marsh found that 59% of employers plan to modify health benefit designs to cut costs, often by increasing deductibles and premiums, which raises employees’ financial responsibility. Nearly two-thirds of large employers with 500 or more workers are expected to boost employees’ premium contributions in 2027, likely exceeding the average 8.2% rise in health care costs.

Industry experts note that while these measures reduce employers’ expenditures, they do not address the underlying drivers of high medical costs. Tim Zellers, an employee benefits consultant, emphasized that shifting costs to workers simply reallocates who pays rather than lowering overall spending. Paul Pruitt, cofounder of SHARx, suggested that companies could adopt more targeted strategies, such as directly managing expensive prescription drug costs by focusing on a small percentage of high-cost medication users. This could involve bypassing traditional insurance models for certain drugs and leveraging direct-to-patient platforms like Amazon Pharmacy or Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Co.

Another emerging trend is the potential adoption of individual coverage health reimbursement arrangements (ICHRAs), which allow employers to provide a fixed monthly reimbursement for employees to purchase their own individual health insurance plans. Approximately one in three businesses currently offering benefits expect to consider ICHRAs within the next two years. While this approach offers employees greater choice and flexibility in plan selection, concerns remain about its complexity and whether it will result in lower costs for workers compared to traditional group plans.

As health care expenses continue to surge, employers are exploring various avenues to manage spending growth, yet the implications for employee access and affordability of coverage remain significant points of discussion.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.