Employers remain committed to providing active employee health care benefits in the near future, according to findings from the annual Towers Watson/National Business Group on Health (NBGH) Employer Survey on Purchasing Value in Health Care, but are responding to changes influenced in part by health care reform with more aggressive actions to improve health care delivery and manage rising costs of care.

The 18th annual Towers Watson/NBGH survey, Reshaping Health Care: Best Performers Leading the Way, found that employers expect average total costs for active employees to reach $12,136 in 2013, up 5.1% from $11,457 in 2012 — the lowest cost increase in 15 years.