Unquestionably, the biggest trend in the health care benefits arena is the growth of health insurance exchanges. In the public insurance realm, the exchanges operated by 13 states and the District of Columbia, and by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in the 37 states that declined to set them up, have seen enrollments soar.

By the close of the 2015 open season, nearly 11.7 million people had chosen health care plans through the public exchanges, a roughly 50% increase over a year ago.

In some states, especially those with high uninsured rates, enrollment growth was extraordinary. In Texas, whose uninsured rate of more than 22% in 2013 was the highest of any state, nearly 1.2 million state residents chose plans through the federal exchange by the close of the 2015 open season, boosting enrollment by more than 60% over a year ago.

Enrollment growth in private health insurance exchanges has been just as impressive, if not more so. For example, a report released last week by consultant Accenture L.L.C. found that enrollment in private insurance exchanges doubled over the past year to 6 million, with even more significant growth projected over the next few years.

The growth in public insurance exchange enrollment is good news. The surge in enrollment illustrates that the massive technological problems that surfaced following the exchanges' launch during the fall of 2013 are over. Just as importantly, the enrollment gains have made deep inroads in the number of uninsured. That's important for those newly insured individuals who, with coverage, are more likely to have medical issues addressed before they develop into more expensive and difficult-to-treat complications. And it's important for group health care plan sponsors, as more health coverage means hospitals and other providers will be hit with much less in uncompensated care, a cost shifted in the form of higher charges to patients in group plans when possible.

In short, more health insurance coverage should translate into smaller health care cost increases.

The growth in private insurance exchanges also is positive. For employees it means, in many cases, more plan choices than they were offered when they received coverage directly from their employers. And for employers, turning to private insurance exchanges allows them to focus more on their core business while ensuring more predictable health costs.