Buyers Want Receipts in 2027. Do You Have Them?

No one is surprised to read yet again that healthcare costs are rising, but something I find interesting is that the bar for proving value is certainly rising with them.

According to Marsh's 2026 National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans, employers expect health benefit costs per employee to increase by an average of 8.2% in 2027, the largest projected increase since 2003. Without planned cost-reduction measures, that figure would reach 11%.

For employers already navigating tight budgets, rising prescription drug costs and increasingly complex benefits decisions, these projections add another layer of pressure. And that pressure doesn't stop with employers.

Brokers, TPAs, PBMs, stop-loss carriers and pretty much everyone else across the self-funded ecosystem are facing greater expectations to demonstrate measurable value.

As 2026 comes to a close, one thing is clear: Having a valuable solution is no longer enough. You need to prove that value in ways buyers can understand and evaluate.

Rising Costs Are Changing What Buyers Expect

When healthcare costs rise, every dollar receives more scrutiny.

Employers want to understand where their healthcare dollars are going, what is driving costs and whether their current partners are delivering meaningful results. While at the same time, brokers and consultants are being asked to evaluate more options and recommend strategies that equally balance cost, quality and employee experience.

Recent findings from the pharmacy benefit management industry offer a particularly telling example.

According to Insurance Business, the 2026 Pharmacy Benefit Manager Customer Satisfaction Report from Pharmaceutical Strategies Group (PSG) found that plan sponsors' likelihood of renewing their PBM contract without a competitive request for proposal (RFP) fell to 6.4 out of 10, the lowest score in the survey's decade-long history.

Interestingly, overall PBM satisfaction remained relatively stable at 7.2 out of 10.

That difference is significant. Plan sponsors may be reasonably satisfied with their existing partners, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're willing to renew without exploring alternatives.

Transparency is another concern. The same report found that one in five respondents believed their PBM was not at all transparent about how it generates revenue.

While these findings are specific to PBMs, they illustrate a broader challenge for the self-funded market: Buyers increasingly want evidence, clarity and accountability before committing to a partnership.

This shift isn't entirely new. Earlier this year, we explored how self-funded buyers are becoming more selective, prioritizing education, transparency and measurable outcomes over complicated offerings and broad promises.

As we look toward 2027, continued cost pressure gives those expectations even greater weight.

If Everyone Promises Savings, How Do You Stand Out?

Let’s be honest here. Cost containment has become one of the most familiar messages in the self-funded industry.

Nearly every TPA, PBM, benefits technology company and cost-management solution talks about controlling spending, improving transparency or delivering better outcomes.

Of course, those benefits matter. But when everyone makes similar promises, distinguishing one solution from another becomes increasingly difficult.

Consider two approaches to communicating value.

One company promises innovative technology that helps employers reduce healthcare costs.

Another explains which cost drivers its solution addresses, how its approach works, what results clients have experienced and what employers should realistically expect.

Both may offer valuable solutions, but the second gives prospective buyers something they can evaluate.

That's the difference between communicating benefits and demonstrating value.

For organizations preparing their 2027 marketing strategies, the opportunity is to move beyond familiar selling points and make their expertise more tangible.

That might mean sharing real-world examples of how a solution addresses a specific employer challenge. It could mean translating complicated reporting into a clearer picture of financial performance. Or it might involve helping brokers explain a solution's value to the employers they advise.

Not every organization can promise immediate cost savings, nor should they. Operational efficiency, improved access to care, better service and greater predictability can also represent meaningful value.

The key is showing how those benefits translate into outcomes buyers care about.

When everyone is promising value, the differentiator is how clearly you can demonstrate it.

Turn Industry Pressure into a More Proactive 2027 Strategy

As you prepare for 2027, the focus shouldn't simply be on producing more marketing materials or promoting your solutions more frequently.

The better question is whether you're prepared to communicate the right value at the moments when buyers need to hear it.

A company targeting July 1 effective-date opportunities cannot wait until June to begin educating prospective clients. A business attending a major industry conference should consider how it will establish relevance before the event and continue conversations afterward. And an organization planning to emphasize measurable outcomes needs time to collect, validate and package those results before sales teams need them.

This is where thoughtful planning makes a difference.

Understanding the industry's calendar allows organizations to work backward from important opportunities, anticipate buyer questions and align their marketing and sales efforts around meaningful business priorities.

That's part of the thinking behind Ocozzio's 2027 Self-Funded Industry Calendar. By bringing together key industry conferences, compliance deadlines, sales cycles and marketing considerations, it provides a practical view of what's ahead and when preparation should begin.

For companies facing increased competition and more demanding buyers, that kind of visibility can help turn reactive marketing into more intentional communication.

Rather than scrambling to develop materials around an upcoming deadline, teams can identify the proof points, educational resources and messaging they'll need months in advance.

And when the next opportunity arrives, they're better positioned to show prospective buyers why their solution deserves consideration.

In 2027, Proof Will Matter More Than Promises

The healthcare cost pressures that shaped 2026 aren't going anywhere in 2027.

Employers will continue looking for ways to manage spending without sacrificing quality. Brokers will be challenged to identify solutions that deliver meaningful results. And organizations across the self-funded ecosystem will need to work harder to demonstrate why their offerings deserve attention.

The PBM market offers a useful reminder: Customer satisfaction doesn't automatically guarantee loyalty, and a familiar value proposition doesn't eliminate the need for transparency or evidence.

For TPAs, PBMs, stop-loss carriers, benefits technology companies and other industry partners, this creates an opportunity to rethink how you communicate.

The organizations that can clearly explain value, support claims with credible evidence and engage buyers at the right time will be better positioned to earn consideration and build lasting relationships.

The pressure to control healthcare costs isn't going away. Neither is the need to prove your value.

The question you should ask for 2027 is if you are prepared to do both.