Summary

According to recent trends, very few private-sector employers offer retiree health benefits these days. In fact, EBRI research found that only about 3 percent of private-sector establishments offered health benefits to Medicare-eligible retirees in 2023, which is down from only 10 percent in 1997. Similarly, 4 percent of private-sector establishments offered health benefits to early retirees, which is down from 11 percent in 1997. This Fast Fact presents a review of the data and a brief analysis of the private- and public-sector retiree coverage trends from 1997–2023.