2026GLOBAL

HEALTHCARECOSTTRENDREPORT

November2025

Executivesummary

Globalhealthcarecosttrendratesareprojectedtoremainelevatedin2026,withaglobalaverageof10.9%andmorethanhalfofsurveyedcountries

anticipatingdouble-digitrateincreasesaffectingemployer-sponsoredhealthplancosts.Multiplefactorsaredrivingtrendrates:

?Chronicconditions—includingcardiovasculardisease,cancer,diabetes,andmusculoskeletaldisorders—

continuetobetheleadingcontributorstomedicalclaimsworldwide.

?PharmacycostsandtheexpandeduseofGLP-1

medicationsareemergingassignificantcostdriversinmarketswherethesemedicationsarecoveredontheplan.

?Utilizationisrisingduetothegrowingburdenofdiseaseandincreasedemployeefocusonhealth.

?Poorplanusageandweakcaremanagementmodelsarefurtherexacerbatingcostpressures,withoveruseofhigh-costproviders—emergencyservicesfor

nonurgentconditions,reimbursementratherthan

in-networkorempaneledproviders—andunderuseofpreventivecareofferings.

?Generalinflationisexpectedtodeclinegloballyin

2026yetremainsafactorinemergingandpoliticallyunstablemarkets.

?Healthcarelabormarketpressures,especiallyforskillednursing,aredrivingupprovidercostsamidhistoricallylowunemploymentrates.

?Overwhelmedpublichealthsystemsarepromptingamigrationtoprivatecare,intensifyingdemand

andincreasingcostsforemployer-sponsoredplans,particularlyinregionswithunregulatedprivate

medicalfeesandlimitedprovidercompetition.

Employersarerespondingwitharangeofcost

containmentstrategies.Themostwidelyadopted

measuresarenegotiationwithinsurersthroughbrokers,

minorplandesignadjustments,andenhancedmembereducationtoimproveplanutilization.Thedatashowsthatemployershavelittleappetiteforincreasing

employeepremiumcostsharing,prioritizinginstead

thecompetitivenessoftheirbenefitsandtheavoidanceofdisruptionthatcouldnegativelyimpactworkforce

engagementandretention.Wellbeingandpreventionprogramsaregainingtraction,thoughtheircost

mitigationpotentialislong-term.

Markettrendssupportingbettercostmanagement

includedigitalizationandtechnologyintegration

(suchastelemedicine,e-claims,andAIintegrationintothehealthcareecosystem),regulatoryandstructural

reforms,introductionofcopaymentsandlimitson

outpatienttreatmentandtherapies,betterutilization

management,cross-borderandalternativecaremodels,preventiveandwellbeinginitiatives,marketcompetitionandconsolidation,andtheadoptionofbiosimilars.

Thesestrategiescollectivelyaimtoreducechronic

diseaseprevalence,technology-drivencostpressures,andrisingmedicalinflationwhilemaintainingaccessandquality.

Regionally,medicaltrendratesvary,buttheupward

trajectoryisconsistent.Employersmustbalanceplan

designflexibility,preventivecareinitiatives,anddigitalintegrationwithrobustutilizationmanagementto

mitigatecostpressures.Asthehealthcarelandscape

evolves,strategicrecalibrationanddata-drivendecision-makingwillbeessentialformanagingcostsand

sustainingworkforcewellbeingin2026andbeyond.

2026GlobalHealthcareCostTrend2LocktonCompanies

2026GlobalHealthcareCostTrend3LocktonCompanies

Globalhealthcarecosttrendoutlook(2025-2026):WhatHRleadersneedtoknow

Globalemployermedicalcostsremainelevatedandbroadlydecoupledfromconsumerinflation.Theglobalmedicalcosttrendisexpectedtoedgeupfrom10.4%(2025)to10.9%(2026),whileworldwideCPIisprojectedtodecline

from4.2%(2025)to3.7%(2026).International(expatriate)plans—whosemembersaremoreinclinedtoseekcarefromhigher-costinternationallyrecognizedproviders—remainstubbornlyhighin2026.Mostregionsface“excessmedicalinflation”(medicaltrendminusCPI)of5to9percentagepoints—meaningplanbudgetsmustgrowwell

aboveinflationtopreservebenefitvalue.WithtrendmateriallyoutpacingCPI,benefitsleaderswillneedtoworkwiththeiradvisorstoensuretargetedplanmanagementanddisciplinedrenewals.

Itshouldbenotedthatwhilewehaveadopted

geographicdivisionsusedbyintergovernmental

organizations,theydonotdescribeeconomic

similarity.Forexample,ifCentralandEastern

Europewereseparatedoutfromtherestof

Europe,itwouldshowaprojected2026healthcarecosttrendof14.2%,whiletherestofEurope

wouldsitat7.6%.WithinthedevelopedWesternEuropeaneconomies,therateofgeneralinflationisprojectedtodecreaseslightlyincomparison

totheprioryear.Therewillalwaysbedistortionswhenaggregatingdatafromcountriesatdifferentstagesofeconomicdevelopmentandwith

differenthealthcareinfrastructure.

FIGURE1:GLOBALHEALTHCARECOSTTRENDVS.CONSUMERINFLATION

TABLE1:MEDICALCOSTTRENDBYREGION&WORLDWIDEEXPATRIATEMEDICALPLANTREND

2026projectedgeneralinflation2

International(expatriate)11.110.93.7

Region12025expectedtrend2026projectedtrend

U.S.&Canada

8.0

8.0

2.2

LatinAmerica&Caribbean

11.1

11.4

5.0

Europe&CentralAsia

9.9

10.7

3.8

MiddleEast&NorthAfrica

8.7

9.2

4.0

Sub-SaharanAfrica

12.4

12.8

10.9

SouthAsia

12.0

13.0

5.0

EastAsia&Pacific

10.7

11.2

2.2

Global10.410.93.7

1Incalculatingglobalandregionalmedicaltrendaverages,wehaveexcludedratesforthefollowinghigh-inflation(annualCPIgreaterthan10%)countries:Argentina,Bolivia,Egypt,Kazakhstan,andTürkiye.

2Theprojected2026rateofgeneralinflationisthepercentagechangeintheaverageConsumerPriceIndex(CPI)fromInflationRateAverageConsumerPrices,WorldEconomicOutlook,InternationalMonetaryFund,October2025.

2026GlobalHealthcareCostTrend4LocktonCompanies

Globalhealthtrends:Implicationsforemployerhealthplans

ForHRleadersmanagingemployeehealthbenefits

acrossmultiplecountries,understandingthedrivers

ofmedicalclaimsisessentialforeffectivecost

managementandstrategicplanning.Thelatestglobal

datashowsthatchronicconditions—particularly

cardiovasculardiseaseandcancer—continuetobe

theleadingcontributorstoprivatemedicalclaimscosts(Table2).Musculoskeletaldisordersedgedoutendocrineandmetabolicconditions(includingdiabetes)thisyear,andrespiratorydiseasesalsorankamongthetopfive

costdrivers,reflectingthebroadimpactoflifestylefactorssuchasstress,inactivity,andpoornutrition.

TABLE2:CONDITIONSCONTRIBUTINGTOPRIVATEMEDICALCLAIMCOST.

Rankedfrom

greatesttoleast

Condition

1

Cardiovascular

2

Cancerandneoplasm

3

Musculoskeletal

4

Endocrineandmetabolic

5

Respiratoryconditions

6

Oralandgastrointestinal

7

Mentalandbehavioralhealth

8

Accidentsandinjuries

9

Renalandurogenital

10

Reproductiveandpregnancy

11

Neurologicalconditions

12

Infectiousandparasitic

13

Inflammatoryandimmune

14Congenitaldisorders

Source:Lockton2026GlobalHealthcareCostTrendReport.

Thefindingsshowrisingclaimsassociatedwithoral

andgastrointestinalconditions,mentalandbehavioralhealth,andaccidentsandinjuries.Thesetrends

underscorethegrowingcomplexityofemployeehealthneeds,withcomorbiditiesandpsychosocialissues

increasinglycontributingtohigh-costclaims.Notably,mentalhealthandstress-relatedconditionsarenowasignificantportionofoverallclaims,emphasizingthe

importanceofholisticwellbeingstrategiesthataddressbothemployeesandtheirdependents.

Demographicshiftsareamplifyingthesepressures.

Aslifeexpectancyincreasesandgovernmentsraise

retirementages,moreemployeesareworkinglonger

andlivingwithchronicdiseases.Thisresultsinhigher

claimsforage-relatedillnessesandinjuries,especiallyinmarketstransitioningfromyoungertoolderworkforces.Incountrieswhereprivateinsuranceiscommunity-ratedacrossworkingandnonworkingpopulations,employersareexposedtothesetrendsregardlessoftheirown

claimsexperience.

Chronicandcomplexconditions—especially

cardiovascular,cancer,musculoskeletal,andmetabolic

disorders—aretheprimarydriversofglobalhealthplancosts.Foremployers,thesefindingshighlighttheneed

fortargetedprevention,robustcaremanagement,and

strategicplandesigntoaddressevolvinghealthrisksandcontrolcostsinarapidlychangingworkforcelandscape.

2026GlobalHealthcareCostTrend5LocktonCompanies

Non-health-relatedcostpressures

Factorsbeyondunderlyinghealthconditionsplayasubstantialroleindrivingmedicalinflationandincreasingprivatemedicalplancostsworldwide.

Globally,generalinflationremainsthemostsignificantnonmedicalcontributor,impactingthepriceof

healthcareservices,supplies,andinsurancepremiumsacrossallregions.Althoughinflationisprojectedto

graduallydecline(from4.2%in2025to3.7%in2026,accordingtoIMFforecasts),itremainsapersistentcostpressureinmanymarkets.

TABLE3:GLOBALCONSUMERPRICEINDEXRATEOFINFLATION

202420252026

5.8%4.2%3.7%

Source:Inflationrate,averageconsumerprices(IMF2025).

Newandexpensivemedications,particularlygenetherapies,biologics,specialtydrugsand,increasingly,radiopharmaceuticals,carryhighpricetagsandposesignificantfinancialrisktoemployer-sponsoredplans.

Radiopharmaceuticals,usedinbothdiagnosticsandtargetedtherapies,aregainingtractiongloballybutrequirespecializedinfrastructureandsupplychains,addingtotheircostimpact.

Whileprecisionmedicine,whichusesgeneticdatato

tailortreatments,holdspromiseforimprovingoutcomesandreducingunnecessarycare,itscostimpactvaries.

Applicationsinvolvingcustomizedbiologicsorcell-basedtherapiesremainexpensiveandarenotyetbroadlyaccessible.

Meanwhile,AIinvestmentsindiagnosticsandtreatmentprotocolsaregenerallyexpectedtolowercostsover

timebyimprovingefficiency,reducingerrors,and

enablingearlierinterventions.However,theinitial

implementationandintegrationcostscancreateshort-termfinancialpressure.

TABLE4:FACTORSCONTRIBUTINGTOPRIVATEMEDICALPLANCOSTS

Rankedfrom

greatesttoleast

Factor

1

Generalinflation

2

New,expensivemedications

3

Overuse,pooruseofplan

4

New,innovativetechnology

5

Shiftfrompublictoprivatecare

6

Shortageofmedicalproviders

7PoorcaremanagementSource:Lockton2026GlobalHealthcareCostTrendReport.

Innovativemedicaltechnologieslikeminimally

invasivesurgery,wearablediagnostics,andvirtualcareplatformsarealsoreshapingcaredelivery,sometimesincreasingupfrontcostswhileofferingpotentiallong-termsavingsandbetteroutcomes.

Overuseandpoorutilizationofhealthplans—suchasunnecessaryproceduresorinefficientcarepathways—furtherescalateexpenses,underscoringtheneed

forbettermembereducationandplanmanagement.

Theshiftfrompublictoprivatecare,promptedby

overwhelmedpublicsystems,isincreasingdemandandcostsforemployer-sponsoredplans.Inturn,shortagesofmedicalprovidersaredrivingupwagesandproviderfees,whilepoorcaremanagementleadstohigher

claimsandlesseffectivecostcontrol.Collectively,thesenonmedicalfactorsareamplifyingfinancialpressures

onprivatemedicalplansandhighlighttheimportanceofstrategiccostcontainmentandplanoptimizationforemployersglobally.

2026GlobalHealthcareCostTrend6LocktonCompanies

Costcontainmentstrategies

Thestrategiesleastfrequentlyadoptedbyemployers

globallytomanagehealthplancostsarethosethat

directlyshiftfinancialresponsibilitytoemployees—suchasrequiringthemtopayagreatershareofpremiumsandotherplancosts.Incompetitivelabormarkets,

benefitsremainacriticaldifferentiator,andcost-shiftingstrategiesareoftenviewedascounterproductiveto

talentattractionandretentiongoals.Employersalsorecognizethatincreasingemployeecontributions

maydelivershort-termsavingsbutriskslong-termconsequences,includingreducedplanparticipation,equityconcernsforlower-incomeemployees,and

potentialdeteriorationinhealthoutcomesthatcandrivehigherclaimsovertime.

Instead,employersareprioritizingstrategiesthatbalancecostcontrolwithplanvaluepreservation.

Enhancedmembereducationsupportstheseefforts

bypromotinginformedutilizationandreducing

unnecessaryclaims.Wellbeingandprevention

programsdriveproactivehealthmanagementto

reducechronicdiseaseprevalenceandlong-termclaimsexposure.Structuraladjustmentssuchaschanging

networkprovidersandmodifyingcoveragelimitsorsublimitsalsorankhigh,demonstratingemployers’

focusonoptimizingproviderrelationships,reducing

out-of-networkleakage,andtighteningbenefitdesignstocontainhigh-costclaims.Adjustingdeductiblesorcopaymentsintroducesmoderatecost-sharingandadegreeofconsumerawarenesswithoutundermining

overallplancompetitiveness.

Encouragingtelehealthutilizationcontinuestolag

asastrategy,althoughitoffersacost-efficientand

convenientalternativetoin-personvisits.Establishingtop-upplanscanprovideemployeeswithflexibilityto

purchaseadditionalcoveragewithoutinflatingcoreplancostsinmarketswherethoseareavailable.

Themostwidelyadoptedmeasurecontinuestobe

negotiationwithinsurersthroughbrokers.While

thisvalidatestheimportanceofbrokerexpertise

andleverageinsecuringfavorablepremiumrates

withoutreducingperceivedbenefits,itseffectivenessislimitedwithouttheintegrationofstructuralplan

redesign,preventivehealthinitiatives,andtechnologyadoption.Overall,employersarebalancingimmediatecostcontainmentwithlong-termhealthinvestment,signalingacommitmenttofinancialsustainability

andworkforcewellbeingratherthandisruptivecost-shiftingmeasures.

FIGURE2:APPROACHESMOSTCOMMONLYADOPTEDBYEMPLOYERSTOCONTROLMEDICALCOSTS

Mostfrequentlyadopted234Sometimesadopted678Rarelyadopted

Negotiationwithinsurerthroughtheirbroker

Changecoveragelimitsorsub-limits EnhancedmembereducationWellbeingandpreventionprograms Encourageuseoftelehealth Changedeductibleorcopayments ChangingnetworkprovidersEstablishatop-upplan

Requireemployeestopayagreaterportionofpremium

Source:Lockton2026GlobalHealthcareCostTrendReport.

RENEWALFACTORS

Medicalrenewalrates

areadverselyaffectedbymarket-andplan-specificfactors,including:

?Generalfactors:

-Underwritingadjustmentsonacarrierlevelreactingtohealthtrendsand

ongoingclaimsratios

-Localinflation

-Changestomedical

infrastructure,including

staffshortagesandsupply

chainissues

-Increasingcostsofmedicalservices

-Diminishingcoverageunderthepublicmedicalsystemexpandingtheprivaterole

-Innovativetechnologies,

medications,andtherapies

-Localmarketconditions

suchascarriersenteringorleavingthemarket

?Plan-specificfactors:

-Poorclaimsexperience

-Unfavorableshiftsingroupriskanddemographics

-Designchanges

thatexpandor

enhancecoverage

Markettrendssupportingbettercostmanagement

Insurers,careproviders,andregulatorsarealsotakingmeasurestoensurethesustainabilityofsocialandprivatehealthcareprovisionintheirmarkets.LocktonGlobal?officesaroundtheworldsharedinsightsintoeight

keyapproaches.

?Digitalizationandtechnologyintegration:Countrieslike

China

,

Estonia

,andthe

Philippines

areleveragingtelemedicine,e-claims,anddigitalhealthplatformstomanageclaimsandreduceinefficiencies.

Oman’s

adoption

ofpreauthorizationandeligibilityverificationunderDhamaniisanotherexampleofusingtechnologytotightenutilizationmanagement.

?Regulatoryandstructuralreforms:

Lithuania’s

taxcaponemployer-paidpremiumsandnewhealthcarelevyaimtocontrolexcessivespending.SouthKorea’sreclassificationofnonreimbursableservicesshiftscoststopatients,reducinginsurerexposure.

Indonesia’s

proposedcopaymentrequirementsandtelemedicineutilizationcapsaredesignedtopreventoveruse.Arecentchangeinthetreatmentofvalue-addedtaxin

Mexico

thatwillaffectinsurerfinancesisexpectedtoincreasemajormedicalhealthinsurancepremiumsin2026.

?Plandesignadjustments:EmployersinPolandandIndiaareintroducingflexiblebenefitplansandpreventivehealthprogramstoreducelong-termcosts.InmarketslikeHongKongandGermany,insurersarerestructuringplantiersandintroducingsublimitstocontainhigh-costclaims.

?Utilizationmanagement:HongKong’srequirementforphysiotherapy

progressreportsandOman’spreauthorizationprocesseshelpcurb

unnecessarytreatments.ThePhilippinesisaddressingoverprescriptionandexcessivediagnosticsthroughregulatoryoversight.

?Cross-borderandalternativecaremodels:HongKonginsurerspartneringwithmainlandChinaprovidersforcost-effectivetreatmentoptionsisa

strategicmovetoreducelocalhigh-costclaims.

?Preventiveandwellnessinitiatives:IndiaandPolandemphasizepreventivecareandwellbeingprogramstomitigatechronicdiseasecosts,whilesome

marketsarepromotingbundledwellbeingservices.

?Marketcompetitionandconsolidation:IncreasedcompetitioninIreland

andconsolidationinMexicomayleadtobetternegotiatedrates,whileOmanandMozambiqueareusingmarketexercisestosecurefavorableterms.

?Adoptionofbiosimilars:IntheU.S.,ashiftfromcostlybiologicsto

biosimilarsisexpectedtolowerpharmacytrend,thoughrebatereductionsmayoffsetsomesavings.Siteofcarestrategies,likeshiftinginfusionsfromhigh-costtolower-costfacilitiesthataremoreconvenientforthepatient,canincreasepatientsatisfactionwhiledeliveringsavings.

7LocktonCompanies

Thesestrategiescollectivelyaimtomanagerisingmedicalinflation,chronicdiseaseprevalence,andtechnology-drivencostpressureswhilemaintainingaccessandquality.

GLP-1medications:Globalcoverage,costimpact,&employertrends

GLP-1agonists(suchasOzempic,Wegovy,andMounjaro)areaclassofmedicationsoriginallydevelopedforType2

diabetesbutnowwidelyrecognizedfortheireffectivenessinweightmanagementandtreatmentofobesity-related

conditions.Demandforthesedrugshassurgedglobally;however,thehighcostofGLP-1medications—oftenseveralhundredtooverathousanddollarspermonthperpatientinequivalentlocalcurrency—hasmadecoveragedecisionsamajorissueforinsurersandemployer-sponsoredhealthplansaroundtheworld.LocktonGlobalofficesprovided

insightsintolocalmarketpractices,regulatoryenvironments,andcosttrendsfor2025-2026.

Coveragesplitbyindication

Acrossmostcountries,publichealthcoverageforGLP-1medicationsisavailableforType2diabetesbutstillrareforobesity-relatedweightloss.Publichealthsystems

andstatutoryinsurancetypicallyreimburseGLP-1sfor

diabetes,whileweightmanagementindicationsare

oftenexcludedorsubjecttostrictcontrols.Employer-

sponsoredplansgenerallymirrorthissplit,withdiabetescoveragefarmoreprevalentthanobesitycoverage.

Prevalenceofemployercoverage

Aminorityofsurveyedmarkets(30%)reportthe

availabilityofGLP-1coverageonprivateemployer-

sponsoredplans,andwhereavailable,coverage

isgenerallylimitedbyinsurersortheemployer

tothemanagementofType2diabetes.Notable

exceptionsincludeCanadaandtheUnitedStates,

whereapproximately30%and37%ofemployer

plans,respectively,coverGLP-1sforobesity-related

weightmanagement,withinterestrising.WithgenericsemaglutideexpectedtobeavailableintheCanadianmarketnextyearduetoNovoNordisk’spatentlapse,costscouldbemoreapproachableforCanadian

extendedhealthpolicies.

Incrementalcostimpact

Wherecoverageisoffered,theincrementalpremiumincreasevarieswidely:typically2-5%oftotalhealthpremiumsbutreaching10-15%orhigherinsome

markets.ThehighcostofGLP-1medicationsand

rapiduptakeamongeligiblemembersaredriving

significantpharmacytrendincreasesinplansthatcoverthesemedications.

Utilizationmanagement&controls

Employersandinsurersarerespondingtocostpressuresbyimplementingpriorauthorization,steptherapy,and

durationlimits.Coverageisoftencontingentonmeetingstrictclinicalcriteria(e.g.,BMIthresholds,comorbidities,specialistoversight).Somemarketsrestrictcoveragetospecialistprograms(e.g.,Philippines)orexcludeweight-lossindicationsentirely(e.g.,DominicanRepublic,Italy,SouthKorea,Türkiye).

Regulatory&marketdynamics

Regulatorychanges,suchastheexpansionof

publichealthbenefitsornewnationalpharmacare

programs(Canada),mayshiftcoveragepatternsin

thefuture.Withinthenexttwoyears,wewillsee

variousGLP-1medicationsapprovedformanynew

indications,includingobstructivesleepapnea,chronickidneydisease,metabolicdysfunction-associated

steatohepatitis,chronicweightmanagement,and

cardiovascularriskreduction.Ongoingstudiesare

lookingatusesinthetreatmentofheartfailure,

Alzheimer’sdisease,Parkinson’sdisease,knee

osteoarthritis,polycysticovarysyndrome,andsubstanceabusedisorders,amongothers.

8LocktonCompanies

2026GlobalHealthcareCostTrend

FIGURE3:PERCENTAGEOFSURVEYEDCOUNTRIESWHEREGLP-1MEDICATIONSARECOVEREDFORANYINDICATION

46%

Publichealth(e.g.,nationalhealth,SocialSecurity)

30%

Employer-sponsoredgroupprivatemedicalinsurance

11%

Statutoryhealthinsurance(socialorprivate)

35%

Notcovered

Source:Lockton2026GlobalHealthcareCostTrendReport.

Internationalmedicalplantrends

Theinternationalmedicalinsurancemarketisevolvingamidrisinghealthcarecosts,shiftingemployerpriorities,andgeopoliticalpressures.Lockton’sGlobalMobilityteamreportseffectiveinternationalprivatemedicaltrendnearing

12.0%,basedonrecentrenewalexperience.Projectionsfromleadingcarriersaverage11.0%andrangefrom9.8%to12.5%.Regionaltrendratesarehigher,reachingupto16.0%,drivenbylocalcostpressuresandincreasedutilization.

Healthcareinnovation—advancedmedical

technologies,high-costmedications,andpersonalizedtherapies—isakeycostdriver.Claimsareincreasinglylinkedtometabolic,cardiovascular,mentalhealth,

andpsychosocialrisks,withcancerandcardiovasculardiseasecontinuingtofigureinthetopcategories.

Multinationalemployersarereassessingexpatriate

policiesduetounsustainablepost-COVIDdouble-digitrateincreases.Costcontrolstrategiesincludebenefitadjustments,employeelocalization,andcross-bordersolutions.Insurersareexpandingwellbeinganddigitalmentalhealthofferings,butemployersprioritize

coreserviceslikeprovidernetworks,compliance,costmanagement,andefficientclaimsprocessing.

Asia-Pacificshowscompetitivepricingfromnew

entrants,thoughriskpoolsremainimmature.In

Singapore,aninsurerhascreatedaninnovative

partnershipwithalocalprivatehospitalthatuses

hotel-basedextendedcare,wherelonger-termmedicalsupervisioncontinuesatsignificantlylowercost.

Theplanalsointroducestieredcopaymentsforout-of-networkcare,encouragingmoreefficientuseof

preferredproviders.

U.K.andEuropeaninsurersareadoptinggenomics,

AI,andvirtualhealthtoshifttowardpreventivecare,

enhancingemployeeengagementandevolvingbenefitexpectations.IntheU.S.,nonprofitsandNGOsface

challengesfromreducedforeignaidspending,leadingtofewerinternationalassignments.Thoseorganizationsareadjustingcost-sharingstrategiestomanage

budgetimpacts.

Insurersarerefiningpricingmodelswithafocuson

smallexpatriatepoolsandhigh-costregionswithdenseexpatriatepopulationsliketheU.S.,UAE,Singapore,andHongKong.Risinglocalpremiumsarenarrowingthegapbetweendomesticandinternationalplans,prompting

highlycompetitiveindustries,especiallyfinancial

servicesfirms,toofferenhancedinternationalcoverageasatalentstrategy.

Ascostsrise,the2026marketemphasizesstrategicrecalibrationandcoreservicedelivery.Lockton

continuestosupportclientswithdata-driveninsightsandtailoredadvisoryservices.

9LocktonCompanies

2026GlobalHealthcareCostTrend

Insurance&providermarketchangesaffectingemployerplans

LocktonGlobalofficesindicatethatmedicaltrendsin2026willbeshapedbyamixofregulatoryreforms,marketconsolidation,technologyadoption,andcostpressuresacrossregions.Severalmarkets,includingChina,Poland,Philippines,andKazakhstan,areintroducingsignificantstructuralchanges.

Chinaisexpandinginsurerofferingsintohealthandwellbeingservices,

leveragingtelemedicinetomanageclaimsandcosts.Polandisseeinga

broadsetofdevelopments,includingdigitalhealthintegratio