A Year in Review

This past year brought big shifts in the world of employee benefits. Many of these changes came from a simple idea: when people get the right support at the right time, they stay healthier and feel more secure. Here are a few areas that stood out.

Women’s Health Moved into the Spotlight

Insurers and new providers have pushed the unique needs of women into the spotlight. Women’s health issues, such as fertility or family-building benefits, and menopause support are now offered within several platforms. These topics were once quiet corners of the benefits and employment world, but this year they became front and center.

Employers are now seeing that women’s health is not a “nice to have.” It is a core part of a healthy workplace.

Organizations can leverage embedded programs or highlight how health spending accounts or flexible spending accounts can help address the evolving needs of women in the workplace.

Better Support for Diabetes Management

Diabetes care programs grew quickly. This growth was driven by rising rates of diabetes and by new tools that make daily management easier. Devices such as continuous glucose monitors became more common, and many people asked for clearer, simpler ways to access them.

Good diabetes support helps people avoid serious long-term health issues, which reduces both personal stress and plan costs over time.

Are diabetes medications listed in the top 5 claims for your organization? Lifestyle and medication support programs might be available to your team.

Rising Demand for Weight-Loss Medications

Medications such as GLP-1 drugs (often used for weight loss and diabetes) were a major talking point. Many organizations had not yet decided how to handle these drugs in their plans, and the cost can be high. This year showed us that employers need a clear approach—one that balances medical need, plan sustainability, and fairness. The demand is not slowing down, so this topic will stay important.

• Make sure you have a clear understanding of how weight loss medications are currently being treated within your drug plan formulary.

• Revisit your benefits philosophy and appetite for risk. Consider leveraging a health spending account; including weight loss medications up to a lower annual limit or with lower coinsurance amounts; or including them as a standard offering up to the overall limit within the plan.

As we take stock of 2025, we are pleased to see that insurers are finding ways to meet needs of particular plan members and that they are finding ways to help plan sponsors address areas of interest from plan members such as weight loss medications.

2026 is already shaping up to be a dynamic year on the benefits landscape. Please stay tuned for important updates.