PwC says US companies are expected to spend 6% more on employee health care next year as drug prices rise

The rate of increase is a four-year high, due in part to rising drug prices.

Private employer medical costs are projected to increase by an average of 6% next year, after averaging about 5.5% annually over the last three years, according to PwC Health Research Institute's annual Medical Cost Trend survey of more than 500 of the nation's largest employers. "The portion of the pie that goes to specialty drugs is growing and has grown substantially, so that's one big reason why we think there'll be a big uptick in drug spending over the next decade," said Ben Isgur, who leads PwC's Health Research Institute.

It will take more coaxing of physicians and patients to use them more, says Isgur. PwC's own research found nearly three out of four doctors remain leery of recommending biosimilars, in part, because they were not significantly cheaper.

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