US employers that are reviewing which benefits to keep are leaning harder on claims, absence and usage data, and the adviser who can interpret those numbers is moving closer to the center of renewal discussions.
Guidance from Howden Employee Benefits adds a caution. A little-used benefit, the firm said, is not necessarily a failing one.
The pressure is measurable. Gallagher's 2026 Benefits Benchmarks survey of 3,717 US organizations found more than a third saw premiums rise 10% or more at their last renewal, even after plan changes, while Mercer, PwC and Aon project employer healthcare costs will rise between 6.5% and 9.5% in 2026.
Scrutiny of value is rising with it. PNC Bank found 65% of employers now measure the return on their benefits, up from 51% a year earlier, and Lockton's 2026 National Benefits Survey found 54% rank cost reduction as their top benefits priority, up from 38% in 2025.
In a Phia Group survey of 124 benefits brokers and advisers, better claims and cost-driver analysis ranked second among the resources they wanted, behind fiduciary oversight checklists at 54%.
"It's not enough to tell a client that healthcare costs are increasing," said Adam V. Russo, co-founder and CEO of The Phia Group.
Read more: Benefits brokers see fiduciary gaps clients aren't asking about yet, survey finds
Howden said low utilization can have several causes. Employees may not know a benefit exists or may not understand it, or it may matter to the smaller group who need it.
"If awareness is low, the first response might be better communication rather than removing the benefit," the firm said.
US research points the same way. A survey of 1,503 call center employees by Lincoln Financial and the Integrated Benefits Institute found more than 75% had access to mental health benefits through work, yet fewer than half had used them, and only 44% rated the outreach as effective.
Spending on communication is thin by comparison. Gallagher's John Tournet has cited Aon figures showing employers spend up to $20,000 per employee a year on health plans but less than $10 per employee explaining them.
Read more: The employee benefits education gap costing employers money
Howden said the data employers need is usually spread across HR, insurers, benefits platforms and employee surveys, which makes patterns hard to see when each report is reviewed alone.
Under the headline claims figure, employers can track claim categories, frequency, average costs, inpatient and outpatient care, diagnostic pathways, specialist referrals and rising demand.
A rise in musculoskeletal (MSK) claims could prompt a look at physical therapy, ergonomics or prevention. An increase in mental health claims or EAP use may point to a need for more support, manager training or a review of workload.
"The data doesn't give you the answer on its own," Howden said. "But it can tell you where to start asking questions."
The firm also recommended looking under total sick days at the frequency and length of absence, differences between teams or sites, and return-to-work data.
Combining this with disability claims, EAP use and insurer rehabilitation data, including counseling usage and return-to-work outcomes, can help employers spot MSK, mental health or stress-related trends before they become long-term absence.
Budgets are moving too. NFP's 2026 US Benefits Trend Report found average employer spending on mental health resources fell by about 7% year over year, and 40% of employers provide burnout prevention training.
Read next: Employers chase cost cuts, leaving benefits brokers at a crossroads
Howden said surveys, well-being assessments and aggregated health screening data can capture issues such as burnout and financial stress without access to individuals' private health information. Scores carry more weight when tracked over time or compared with peers.
In Gallagher's survey, 23% of employers report that fewer than 20% of eligible employees take part in well-being programs, and 37% now use analytics to inform workforce planning and benefits decisions.
Large brokers are building for that demand. Gallagher feeds employee decision data into Gallagher Drive, its people analytics platform, to show benefits and finance leaders utilization trends and high-cost cohorts.
Howden cautioned that "a 50-page benefits report isn't much use if nobody knows what to do with it." It advised tracking a small set of measures consistently and explaining what changed, why it matters and what to do next, so the same figures can later show whether a change worked.
"The goal isn't to measure everything," Howden said. "It's to measure what matters, understand what the numbers are telling you and use that information to make better decisions."
