AI Summary

Employers and workers are facing steep health‑coverage cost hikes this open‑enrollment season, with family premiums now averaging more than $28,000 annually. Some small firms report that health‑insurance spending exceeds their total profit. Over the past ten years, the federal government has emphasized price‑transparency initiatives, assuming that knowing costs would enable employers to negotiate lower rates. Interviews with employers, benefits consultants, claims administrators, and policy experts reveal that price disclosure alone has not provided leverage for anyone except the very largest employers.

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