On June 21st, PwC’s Health Research Institute (HRI) released its annual Medical Cost Trend: Behind the Numbers 2017 report. PwC’s HRI anticipates a 6.5% growth rate for 2017—the same as was projected for 2016. The report identifies the key inflators and deflators as well as historical context to better understand the medical cost trend for 2017. Increases in the trend due to utilization of convenient care access points and an uptick in behavioral healthcare benefits for employees are being offset by more aggressive strategies by pharmacy benefit