Addressing 2026’s rising benefits costs
Board-ready deck for HR and finance leaders.

Benefits costs are rising fast
Here’s the deck your CFO actually wants to see.
Healthcare costs are spiking to a 14-year high, trending toward 8.5%. That’s way faster than wage growth. HR and finance leaders are being asked to do the impossible: control costs, keep employees happy and avoid getting buried in renewals.
Spoiler: doing nothing is the most expensive option.
That’s why we built this deck. It’s a board-ready and decision-ready toolkit that gives you the numbers, the tradeoffs and the path forward. In 15 to 30 minutes, you’ll walk your leadership team through the chaos and into clarity.
What’s inside
The 2025-26 reality check: Medical cost trends and the biggest drivers of spend
Impact on your business: What rising costs mean for revenue, retention and compliance
Strategic options: In-house, broker or PEO — cost, risk and value trade-offs
The recommendation: Why consolidation, automation and data-informed design matter
Why it matters
Because renewals are coming. Because CFOs hate surprises. Because the “wait and see” strategy is already costing you more than you think.
More HR resources
See Rippling in action
See how Rippling can help you manage all your employee data and operations in one place, no matter your business’s size.





















