Drug Price Increases Expected To Drive Up Healthcare Costs For Employers In 2018.

reports that employers are preparing for an increase in healthcare expenses next year “as spending on new drugs to treat diseases such as cancer, multiple sclerosis and hepatitis C is expected to rise more than 7 percent, according to consultancy firm Mercer.” The firm’s findings “suggest that spending on specialty drugs had risen by about 15 percent compared with prices that were factored into 2017 health plans.” http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-healthcare-survey/costly-drugs-to-weigh-on-u-s-employers-expenses-in-2018-survey-idUSKCN1BT1FR