PBM Opacity Is Turning Prescription Benefits into a Business Risk

Employer healthcare costs are becoming harder to predict, harder to explain and harder to absorb. A report from consulting firm MercerOpen in a new tab found the average cost of employer-sponsored health coverage reached $17,496 per employee in 2025, while prescription drug spending rose 9.4% among large employers. At the same time, additional Mercer researchOpen in a new tab indicated 61% of employers with 500 or more employees are actively evaluating new approaches to managing pharmacy benefits.