Health care costs for large US employers are increasing at rates exceeding previous predictions, according to a survey by the Business Group on Health.

The survey, which included 127 large employers—half of which have at least 25,000 workers—revealed that cost growth between 2023 and 2025 surpassed forecasts. Projections for 2026 and 2027 suggest costs will reach new highs of 8.5% and 9.2%, respectively, before any changes to benefits are implemented.

"Employers’ ability to accurately predict their health care costs is not just a budgeting problem," Ellen Kelsay, CEO of the Business Group on Health, told reporters. "It’s emblematic of a bigger picture issue with the overall health care system."

In other medical developments, researchers from Oxford have identified an association between the newer shingles vaccine and a reduced risk of heart disease. This follows previous findings linking the vaccine to lower rates of dementia. The research was conducted as a natural experiment comparing health records of individuals vaccinated before and after the shot's approval.

"If confirmed, Shingrix could prevent hundreds of thousands of cardiovascular events in the USA alone, and may be the first vaccine that protects the heart and the brain."

Study co-author Maxime Taquet noted that a randomized controlled trial is currently underway to confirm these findings.

Separately, the Pennsylvania Department of Health announced two measles-associated deaths in the state. Both individuals were unvaccinated. These represent the first measles deaths in the United States for 2026, and the first in Pennsylvania in over three decades.