Looking back at historical trends helps us understand the evolution of this business. It also gives us the benefit of hindsight while looking for drivers (e.g. we know prescription drugs trends have been high, so we can begin the process of looking for the culprits). This is vitally important for learning about how we arrived in our current environment, but less telling for what the future holds. Our ability to plan for the future alongside our clients lies in our aptitude for anticipating cost changes before they occur. This year, for the first time, Wells Fargo Insurance has developed healthcare cost trend forecasts for next year.