Health business group: employers to maintain benefits despite cost challenges

Most major employers plan to maintain their well-being services in 2025, even if they faced growing health costs and global economic-contrary winds, according to a recent investigation by The Business Group on Health.

The business group on health is a non -profit defenders’ defense organization for major employers. The survey included the responses of 131 employers who employ 11.2 million people around the world. Directed in January and February, it follows another group of business survey which provided health costs to increase almost 8% in 2025, the highest increase in more than a decade.

The new survey revealed that 73% of employers plan to maintain their well-being programs in 2025, while 20% will expand their programs. The rest will decrease either their wellness programs or have not been sure.

Although many employers maintain or expand their well-being services, they begin to demand greater value from their suppliers because they manage the increase in health costs. About 94% said they increased their expectations for suppliers’ well-being. For example, some employers are starting to use wellness dashboards to help measure health data and assess suppliers.

“Employers continue to consider well-being as at the heart of their labor strategy and seek to optimize their well-being investments more,” said Ellen Kelsay, president and chief executive officer of Business Group on Health, in a statement. “By considering these initiatives as having a direct impact on the overall health of employees, employers also stimulate commitment to the workplace, the results of the participants and the performance of companies, among other advantages”.

The survey also revealed that 100% of employers’ respondents included mental health in their well-being strategy, 47% indicating that mental health is the most important part of their well-being program. 99% additional said they include physical health in their well-being strategy, in particular for weight management. About two thirds of employers said that the growing demand for GLP-1 had affected their strategy.

In addition, 92% of employers include financial health in their well-being programs, according to the business group on health. Examples of financial support in health include support for student loans, reimbursement of tuition fees and emergency savings.

Additional survey results include:

• About 85% of employers have a global coherence strategy for well-being or work on one. However, the development of a coherent well-being strategy is difficult because employers must take into account different cultures and laws. Some of the most coherent global offers include physical support and nutritional support.
• About three -quarters of employers offer social connectivity and community programs, such as employee resources groups, coaching or mentoring by peers.
• About 59% of employers plan to do more to approach the social determinants of health in the coming years.

Photo: Thai Noipho, Getty Images