2026 Employee Benefits Market Insights

5 Employee Benefits Trends Employers Must Understand for 2027 Planning

The employee benefits landscape is changing rapidly. Rising healthcare costs, increased regulatory scrutiny, and greater expectations for plan governance are creating new challenges for employers as they prepare for 2027 benefits planning.

Many organizations have already exhausted traditional cost containment strategies. As a result, benefits leaders are being asked to manage greater financial risk, more complex compliance requirements, and heightened fiduciary responsibility—often with limited margin for error.

This brief highlights the most important findings from EPIC’s 2026 Employee Benefits Market Insights report, identifying the five trends shaping employer sponsored health plans and the decisions that will have the greatest impact on 2027 outcomes.

What You’ll Learn

• Key drivers behind rising healthcare costs and renewal volatility
• How regulatory and market shifts are increasing employer risk exposure
• Where fiduciary and governance expectations are changing for health plans
• Which benefits decisions made in 2026 will influence costs and risk in 2027

Insights tailored to your health plan funding strategy

This report includes targeted guidance based on how your plan is funded:

• Fully insured employers: Understanding renewal volatility and emerging cost drivers
• Self funded employers: Managing claims risk while strengthening fiduciary oversight

Prepare for 2027 with clearer insight into today’s benefits market

Download the 2026 Employee Benefits Market Insights to understand what’s changing in employee benefits—and how to plan with greater confidence.

Download your copy today!