Health care costs are set to spike again. A new nationwide survey from Mercer shows employers expect health coverage for employees to jump nearly 9% in 2026, the biggest increase in over a decade.

Behind these increases? Soaring hospital prices and unchecked provider consolidation. While hospitals charge more each year, often without improving care, the burden falls directly on working Americans. Studies even show that $0.40 of every $1 spent in healthcare goes toward hospital costs.

That means more money taken out of paychecks, higher deductibles, and fewer benefits, all while hospitals report record profits.

“For a lot of employers, they feel they have stretched their employees as far as they can go,” said Shawn Gremminger, CEO of the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions.

But that stretch has a breaking point. One in three Americans say they can’t afford care even if they need it. As hospital prices and corporate profits from their consolidated systems continue to rise, families are being left with impossible choices.

Corporate hospital systems shouldn’t be in the business of punishing patients and their employers. Better Solutions is fighting to hold hospitals accountable and protect access to affordable, high-quality care. No one should have to choose between paying the bills and keeping their family healthy.