2025 Broker ICHRA Survey Report: Key ICHRA Trends and Statistics for 2025

2025 Broker ICHRA Survey Report: Key ICHRA Trends and Statistics for 2025

Five years after ICHRA launched on January 1, 2020, it’s clear this model is no longer a test run or passing trend. It’s a strategic shift reshaping employer-sponsored healthcare.

To better understand how brokers are navigating the transformation, we surveyed benefits consultants from across the country. Some are seasoned ICHRA sellers; others are still testing the waters. But nearly all agree: ICHRA adoption is rising, and it’s changing the broker playbook in the process.

Here’s what we learned from our 2025 Annual Broker ICHRA Survey.

1. Brokers are engaging with ICHRA more now than ever.

As ICHRA adoption surges along its hockey-stick trend line, a growing number of forward-thinking brokers actively engaged with the model. Nearly 80% of respondents are familiar with ICHRA as a benefits strategy, while more than half are already selling it. 

Even those not yet implementing ICHRA as part of their benefits strategy are ready to advise on it. 93% of brokers report they continually bring their clients new ideas. 

As companies seek out alternatives to unpalatable group plans, brokers are stepping up with future-ready strategies that deliver more flexible, cost-conscious, and customizable options.

2. Over 90% of brokers expect ICHRA adoption to surge.

Whether they’re actively selling ICHRA or not, over 90% of brokers surveyed expect adoption to increase over the next five years. That’s a powerful signal, and proof that rising group costs, regulatory support, and improved individual market plan options are driving a tailwind behind the model.

Brokers and their clients are increasingly viewing ICHRA as more than a cost-saving lever. Instead, they’re seeing it as the foundation upon which employer-sponsored benefits can modernize for distributed teams, complex workforces, and competitive labor markets.

3. ICHRA is making moves in the mid- and large-group market.

Originally embraced by small employers as an opportunity to reduce group coverage’s stranglehold on their bottom lines—or to offer benefits for the first time—ICHRA is moving upstream. A growing number of brokers report clients with 11-100+ employees using ICHRA, while more than 10% serve groups with 101-500+ employees. 

This evolution proves that, with the right administration platform, larger employers can adopt and implement ICHRA at scale. In turn, employers can offer personalized benefits without sacrificing coverage, control, or compliance while challenging the myth that ICHRA is only a fit for smaller teams.

4. Employee experience and plan quality remain top employer concerns.

Despite growing interest in ICHRA and its potential for cost containment, perceived barriers and misconceptions remain. The most common client concerns?

• Employee experience (55.4%) 
• Plan quality in the individual market (50.8%)
• Complex carrier enrollment and premium payment processes (46.2%)

For brokers, this presents an opportunity, not a roadblock. The most successful consultants guide clients through these concerns with advanced technology that simplifies administration, employee education, enrollment, and ongoing support.

5. Employers see real benefits once they make the leap.

Brokers who have already successfully implemented ICHRA for clients report consistent themes in employer feedback and high satisfaction ratings. Top benefits include: 

• Improved cost controls (86.2%)
• Greater employee plan choice (66.2%)
• Increased plan design flexibility (49.2%)

Other noteworthy benefits? Employers are able to get out of the risk business—finally—while protecting their business’s financial stability. 

6. Technology is a make-or-break for ICHRA success.

There’s no getting around it: ICHRA is complicated, making the technology behind the experience even more important. 

Brokers overwhelmingly agreed that intuitive, user-friendly ICHRA administrative platforms are key to successful implementation and administration. But what makes a great ICHRA partner? Brokers pointed to strong customer service and a clean, intuitive user experience as the top features, with the ability to remain agent of record (AOR) and effective client quoting tools ranking highly as well.

Honorable mentions: Other key stats worth watching

• Brokers cite challenging administration, concerns with employee plan selection and education, and complicated payment processes as their top challenges when it comes to selling ICHRA, highlighting the need for a robust platform.
• For brokers who aren’t actively selling ICHRA, user-friendly administration (58.1%) and requests for easier quoting and allowance modeling tools (53.5%) rank as the top factors that would make them more likely to introduce the model to their toolkit.
• Brokers note that reducing company costs (84.1%) and lowering out-of-pocket expenses for employees (70.1%) are the two key drivers accelerating ICHRA adoption amongst clients.
• Finally, industry-wide factors accelerating ICHRA include rising group plan costs (82.2%), higher-quality individual market plans (66.4%), and better integrations between carriers and enrollment teams (49.5%). 

So, what’s next for ICHRA?

ICHRA’s flexibility, cost efficiency, and alignment with the complex, distributed, and diverse modern workforce make it an increasingly attractive option for employers of all sizes…when they’re made aware of it. For brokers, ICHRA is more than just a product to sell. It’s a chance to lead the industry and enhance value as a strategic advisor for clients.

Want the full picture? Download the 2025 Broker ICHRA Survey Report to dive deeper into broker sentiment, adoption trends, and expert ICHRA insights.