Mercer Principal Joins Alliant as Healthcare Costs Drive Broker Hiring Shift

NewsData.io · United States · Aug 26, 2026

Andrew Riexinger, a nearly 14-year principal at Mercer, has joined Alliant Insurance Services as a VP in its employee benefits group, part of a broader pattern of brokerages recruiting consulting-firm talent as employer healthcare costs escalate. Employer health benefit costs are projected to rise 6.5% in 2026—the highest since 2010—and up to 9% without plan action, according to Mercer's 2025 National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans. The pressure is reshaping what brokers need to offer: deeper financial underwriting, claims analysis, and multi-year cost modeling rather than traditional carrier placement. For staffing firms with significant employee benefits exposure, this trend signals rising plan costs and a tightening market for analytically skilled benefits advisors.