The cost of healthcare will drive more consumers to become price-conscious

The trend: Despite cost pressures, many consumers are willing to invest in their health—and they’re eschewing health insurance to pay for a range of medical products and services.

Editor’s note: This article is part of our Health Trends to Watch in 2025 report. Read the report in full here.

How we got here: Consumers are bearing more responsibility for their healthcare costs.

• While high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) were meant to reduce spending, they require upfront spending on medical care before plan payments kick in.
• Since 2007, average deductibles for employees with HDHPs and a savings option have increased by over 50%, per Trilliant Health’s 2024 “Trends Shaping the Health Economy” report.

Yes, but: These pressures aren’t enough to dissuade consumers from spending on their health and wellness.

That’s because 82% of consumers consider wellness a top or important priority in their everyday lives, per McKinsey & Company’s August 2023 Future of Wellness survey. Their prioritization stems in part from the fact that the average American feels their best only about half of the time, according to a December 2023 survey from OnePoll and Mucinex.

Consumers’ health-focused purchases run a wide gamut.

• Consumers are buying OTC supplements, medications, and wearable devices with advanced health-tracking capabilities.
• Using CGMs to track blood sugar has also become a popular trend among wellness enthusiasts, per an August 2024 Business Insider article.

The opportunity: As consumers shift from making health purchases through their insurance plan to paying more out of pocket, companies have an opportunity to differentiate themselves by providing the same level of customer service that folks experience in their everyday lives.

For example, Walmart now lets shoppers purchase prescription medications online and have them delivered alongside groceries and other items on the same day. Some 55% of its customers expressed a desire for such a service, and it was most requested by customers who self-identify as time-sensitive, busy families, according to Walmart.

Read next: Click here to read our predictions on how the untenable cost of healthcare will affect consumers’ behavior in 2025.

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