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Mercer Marsh Benefits

Insured Benefits for Internationally Mobile Employees

Mercer Marsh Benefits 2026 survey report

Mercer Marsh Benefits’ new report on international medical benefits—based on a survey of 188 organizations—examines how employers are managing cross-border medical coverage in a fast-changing world. The findings show a strong commitment to quality coverage, notable gaps in benchmarking and mobile capabilities and digital adoption, and clear operational challenges for both employers and employees.

Top-line findings

  • Benefits hold steady under pressure: 96% of employers do not plan to reduce international medical benefits coverage in the next 12 months, despite rising cost pressures.
  • Benchmarking gap: 71% want to offer international benefits in line with market practice and 24% say they target above-market or leading benefits, yet 51% don’t know how their plans compare to peers.
  • Broader coverage: 40% extend international medical benefits to local nationals, widening the use of these arrangements beyond traditional expatriate populations.

Mobility is evolving, and so are plan priorities

Assignments and remote work patterns are changing program scale and scope, and influencing how employers think about access, quality and continuity of healthcare for assignees. 

Maintaining international healthcare coverage is seen as essential to duty of care, talent retention, and business continuity. Keeping benefits global is a deliberate choice, not a default.

Making prevention and integrated care central to plan design as mobility grows and populations diversify — many organizations are already moving in this direction.

Coverage is also expanding beyond expatriates. International private medical insurance (IPMI) and similar solutions are being used to simplify compliance and close coverage gaps in local market provisions.

Operational reality and a digital gap

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Many programs are managed centrally to ensure consistency and meet regulatory obligations, while still needing local flexibility for market-specific clinical and compliance issues.

Employers actively work towards optimizing cost management, clear communications, and finding the right providers and plan designs. Employees most often complain about claims processes, navigating local healthcare systems, and understanding their benefits. These everyday frictions reduce perceived value and increase administrative burden.

A surprising number of organizations still rely on manual or fragmented systems. Better use of administration platforms and digital claims tools could simplify enrollment, speed claims, and improve member experience.

The true impact of AI is yet to be seen with most employers remaining on the fence or questioning AI readiness when considering its importance in their decision making process.

Download the report

Please fill out the form below to download the Mercer Marsh Benefits 2026 survey report.

Contact specialists

Dave Hilton

Dave Hilton

Global Mobility Solutions Leader, UK

  • United Kingdom

Mark Harris

Mark Harris

Global Mobility Solutions Leader, Europe

  • Czech Republic

Marc Posthuma

Marc Posthuma

Global Mobility Solutions Principal, Netherlands

  • Netherlands

Rachel Yin

Rachel Yin

Regional High End Medical Leader, Asia

  • Hong Kong

TC Williams

Anthony (TC) Williams

Principal - Senior Expatriate Benefits Lead Consultant, USA

  • United States

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