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Healthcare Cost Impact on Workplace Benefits

Grace Rafferty 9/18/2026

Discover how rising healthcare costs are reshaping workplace benefits—and how smarter strategies can protect budgets, employee well-being, and trust. 

Summary

This study examines how rising healthcare costs intersect with workplace benefits strategy, including employers’ cost-management considerations, benefit tradeoffs, plan design decisions, employee communication needs, and the potential workforce impact of benefit changes. 

In May–July 2026, LIMRA conducted U.S.-based primary research among 572 workplace benefits decision makers at U.S. employers, three online focus groups with 11 full-time employees ages 21–64 enrolled in employer-provided health insurance and at least one other benefit, and a July 2026 U.S. Consumer Sentiment survey of 3,000 adults, including 1,131 employees enrolled in employer-sponsored medical insurance. 

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Meet the Project Director

Grace Rafferty

With more than 25 years of strategic, creative, and actionable custom market research, both domestic and global, Rafferty joined LIMRA and LOMA in August 2025. In her role as workplace benefits research director, she develops the strategic vision and direction of the program and leads the team that implements it. Before joining LIMRA, Rafferty held research positions at Transamerica, Prudential, and most recently, Morgan Stanley.  Rafferty has a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from St. John’s University in Jamaica, Queens. 

Corporate Vice President, Director of Workplace Benefits Research, LIMRA and LOMA

grafferty@limra.com


For more information, please contact grafferty@limra.com.

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