Learn what tops the health care agenda for PBGH members, the nation’s largest employers that collectively spend $350 billion annually purchasing health care services for more than 21 million Americans and their families
Oakland, California, May 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Purchaser Business Group on Health (PBGH), a nonprofit coalition representing 40 private employers and public entities across the U.S., announced today the results of its member survey on top health care priorities. Cost control and affordability continue to top the list, with health insurance premiums climbing year after year and expected to increase by an average of 7% in 2025, outpacing inflation. Affordability is front and center for employers seeking to purchase care on behalf of their workforce. Rounding out the top five health care priorities are access to care; quality of care and appropriate utilization; RFPs/procurement of partners; and member experience and communications.
“These priorities should be a wake-up call for many health care stakeholders who think the status quo is acceptable,” explained Elizabeth Mitchell, President & CEO of PBGH. “We are not seeing serious efforts to contend with cost and affordability from the industry. But employers and families are paying the bills. Employers bear sole fiduciary responsibility for the health coverage they provide for employees and their families yet even getting access to price and quality data to effectively evaluate whether they are paying a fair price for health care services is still too hard.”
After affordability, members cite access to care, and quality of care as top concerns. Employers are using innovative strategies such as direct contracting, centers of excellence, integrated mental health in primary care, and using the PBGH Care Excellence Program to identify high-quality, affordable advanced primary care with high value specialty referrals. Employers are driving innovation absent industry solutions.
Many PBGH members planning RFPs during the coming year expressed heightened scrutiny on procurement processes to eliminate barriers to innovation and select aligned consultants and vendor partners.
Member experience and communications continue to remain a top five priority as benefits directors strive to provide employees with the best possible health benefits that meet employees’ needs, keep employees and their families healthy, and make it easy to use health care services when they need it.
“The survey results affirm our strategic roadmap,” continued Mitchell. “PBGH’s strategic initiatives include programs that focus on affordable, high-quality, whole-person health, such as our Advanced Primary Care program and transparent data to establish fair pricing, ensure accountability and enable fiduciary success.”
Other priorities of interest cited in the survey include Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) compliance and legislative updates; data optimization for measuring benefits success; strategies for GLP-1 management; and continued interest in health equity, comprehensive cancer care, and employee well-being.
“While this survey marks the annual checkpoint with our members, we are in close contact throughout the year to ensure the resources, programs, services and education we develop are valuable to them,” explained Randa Deaton, PBGH’s Vice President, Purchaser Engagement. “It gratifying to gain deeper insights into their priorities and challenges and know we are helping to address them. There is power in collective action, and we expect to see more of that from employers in the future.”
About Purchaser Business Group on Health
PBGH is a nonprofit coalition representing nearly 40 private employers and public entities across the U.S. that collectively spend $350 billion annually purchasing healthcare services for more than 21 million Americans and their families. In partnership with its members, PBGH initiatives are designed to test innovative operational programs and scale successful approaches that lower healthcare costs and increase quality across the U.S.
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CONTACT: Janet Cabibbo Purchaser Business Group on Health 9177510232 jcabibbo@pbgh.org
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