In the current economy, organizations are tasked with balancing affordability with quality. Learn how RSM leverages a modern, whole-person approach to help bridge the gap.
By Ty Beasley
Healthcare is one of the most personal decisions employees make and one of the most complex challenges employers must manage. As costs rise at historic rates, organizations are under increasing pressure to balance affordability with meaningful plans that support their workforce’s varied needs.
For employers, this moment demands more than incremental adjustments. It requires a modernized approach that balances affordability with choice while supporting the whole person.
The Cost Pressure Facing U.S. Employers
Healthcare costs have been rising for more than a decade, but the recent acceleration is notable. The Business Group on Health’s 2026 Employer Strategy Survey finds employers predict a 9% median increase for 2026, highlighting that cost pressures are unlikely to abate in the near term.
Pharmaceutical innovation, chronic condition prevalence, and rising demand for personalized care are major drivers of cost acceleration, according to healthcare giant Cigna. These aren’t short-term spikes; they are systemic forces employers must plan around.
For HR executives, the message is clear: traditional incremental plan changes will no longer be enough.
The Shift Toward Personalization and Choice
As employers grapple with escalating costs, today’s workers are navigating their own reality: rising out-of-pocket expenditures, unpredictable medical events, and conflicting priorities between monthly affordability and long-term protection.
Research from Cigna highlights that employees increasingly expect personalized benefits, integrated care navigation, and predictable cost structures that meet their individual needs. In other words, employees want more control—not just over what they spend, but over how their benefits function in real life for themselves and their families.
This represents a meaningful shift for employers, from simply designing plans to architecting benefits ecosystems.
RSM transformed its 2026 healthcare benefits with today’s realities in mind. The goal was to redesign the offerings to provide meaningful choice while ensuring coverage remains accessible, protective, and sustainable.
How RSM Redesigned Its 2026 Healthcare Offerings
RSM transformed its 2026 healthcare offerings with these realities in mind. The goal was to redesign the offerings to provide meaningful choice while ensuring coverage remains accessible, protective, and sustainable.
A Broader Range of Coverage Levels
For years, RSM offered only high deductible plans—options that benefit some employees but not all. To meet varying needs, the organization followed this approach.
- The organization launched a new PPO plan, and approximately 20% of employees chose it, signaling strong demand for predictable copays and lower point-of-service costs.
- Nearly half (48%) chose RSM’s new “Essential HDHP,” reinforcing a desire for lower premium options for those who prefer to manage risk differently, resulting in an average annual savings of roughly $950 per employee.
- Just under one-third (32%) chose to remain on the company’s “Core HDHP,” demonstrating continued desire for a mid-level plan.
The mix of elections confirmed that employees benefit from having options that reflect their risk profile and financial comfort level.
Supplemental Protection for Life’s Unexpected Moments
RSM also introduced accident, hospital indemnity, and critical illness coverage, with nearly a third of the workforce opting into these plans in the first year. Supplemental benefits address a growing concern for many families: the fear of unplanned medical bills at a time when emergency savings are strained nationwide. Importantly, these offerings allow employees to layer financial protection strategically without over insuring through costlier medical plans.
Balancing Choice with Stewardship
Choice doesn’t require relinquishing cost control. Through strategic plan modeling, vendor partnerships, and proactive plan design adjustments, RSM introduced more choice without compromising affordability.
Support for Confident Decision-Making
To ensure employees felt confident navigating these new choices, RSM expanded the support available throughout the open enrollment process. Recognizing that benefits decisions look different for every household, we offered a spectrum of guidance—from self-service tools for those who prefer to evaluate options independently, to one-on-one consultations where a benefits advisor could walk through election scenarios step-by-step. RSM also created an externally accessible webpage, making it easier for spouses, partners, and family members to participate in the decision-making process. This multilayered approach ensured employees had the right level of support, whether they wanted a quick comparison or a personalized conversation tailored to their needs.
What This Means for Employers
The lessons from RSM’s experience mirror national trends—and offer a road map for organizations preparing for the future.
- Design plans around employee choice. Employees are not a monolith. Offering options across premium levels, deductibles, supplemental protections, and care models empowers people to make decisions aligned to their life circumstances. Navigation tools and support help employees choose what’s right for them with confidence.
- Prioritize predictability where possible. Predictability is emerging as a major contributor to employee satisfaction. Whether through copays, reduced deductible structures, supplemental coverage, or concierge navigation, predictable experiences reduce stress and improve plan engagement.
- Strengthen financial protection beyond core medical plans. Supplemental benefits are no longer niche offerings—they are critical tools for managing volatility amid rising healthcare costs. Bundle voluntary benefits with education campaigns that explain how they reduce exposure to major medical events.
- Build benefits ecosystems, not isolated plans. Employees experience benefits holistically: medical, mental health, financial well-being, flexibility, family support, and workplace culture. Designing these elements in concert better supports the whole person and reinforces organizational culture.
- Communicate with clarity and transparency. Even the best-designed benefits fall short if employees don’t understand them. Communicate in plain language and build campaigns centered around key moments or personas.
Looking Ahead
The cost pressures employers face are real and intensifying, but so are the opportunities to build benefits that are more flexible and aligned to how people live and work today.
By embracing choice, improving predictability, strengthening financial protection, and supporting the whole person, employers can turn this moment of disruption into a competitive advantage.
RSM’s transformation was not simply a change in plan offers; it represented a recalibration of how the company supports its people. When organizations pair financial stewardship with empathy and innovation, they do more than manage rising costs—they build trust, strengthen culture, and empower employees to reach their full potential.
Ty Beasley is chief talent officer at RSM US LLP.
