4 benefit trends employers should watch in 2025

Published Updated 2 Min Read

A new year means a fresh start, but for many employers, it’s also an opportunity to tackle old problems. 

From healthcare costs to AI training and development, 2025 will likely be defined by the benefits and policy challenges leaders have struggled to make headway on in the last few years. Add in the political and economic uncertainty Trump’s incoming presidency brings, and it’s clear HR teams will continue to have a lot on their plates. But if leaders need a guiding light for 2025, they don’t have to look further than their own employees, says Linda Keller, the national chief operating officer and employee benefits practice leader at insurance brokerage HUB International. 

According to professional services company PwC, medical costs are expected to rise 8% in 2025, marking the highest increase in 13 years. Employers and employees will face higher premiums and higher costs of care — and most workers’ wages cannot keep up. If employees don’t access care, then their underlying health issues will likely worsen, eventually causing even higher costs of care. Keller and Faber agree that HR teams must redesign their healthcare benefits if they want their employees to be healthy and mitigate spiraling costs. 

“Listen to your employees and figure out their issues. Is it the high deductibles? Is it the co-pays?” says Keller. “What happens if employers give employees access to tools that tell them where they can get higher quality care at a reasonable price?”

Deanna Cuadra
Senior Reporter

Deanna Cuadra is a senior reporter at Employee Benefit News. Her work covers healthcare, U.S. policy and reform, challenges faced by women and parents in the workplace and innovation in work culture … Read full bio


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