How to unscramble healthcare for the U.S. workforce
Lately it seems like collective uncertainty about the economy is mainly focused on one thing: eggs.
This isn’t surprising. When the price of a kitchen staple like eggs nearly doubles in a year, it’s easy to make it a go-to symbol for the broader basket of financial anxieties many consumers are feeling. I get it, but I also worry all the egg-centric media coverage is overshadowing what is, for most households, a much bigger and more important line item: healthcare.
So far this year, egg prices have generated roughly three times more headlines than healthcare costs have (per a quick Google News search)—which is pretty much the reverse of the relative impact those issues have had on households over the past 40 years. Food inflation is a serious concern, but for the average consumer, the cost of out-of-pocket healthcare spending has far outpaced that of food (yes, even eggs).
Cumulative Change in Prices Paid by Consumers (%)
Why are eggs stealing the limelight? One big reason is that everyday commodities like eggs (or milk, coffee, and gas) are easy for consumers to comprehend. These products have a black-and-white price tag, you generally get what you pay for, and it’s hard not to notice when your paycheck suddenly doesn’t stretch as far.
Healthcare is different
Healthcare doesn’t work like that. For consumers, out-of-pocket healthcare spending is a mishmash of insurance premiums, deductibles, appointment copays, and prescription costs. For heavier-duty care like surgery and hospital stays, there often isn’t a clear-cut price tag. Not surprisingly, more than half of insured workers are confused by healthcare costs and billing, and as a result, many don’t fully grasp the total healthcare hit to their wallet—or the value they’re getting (or not) for their healthcare dollar.
This consumer blind spot is becoming a financial black hole for employers. For most companies, healthcare is now the second-largest operating expense after payroll. Employers are forecasting that healthcare costs will accelerate even more in 2025, increasing by about 9%—three times the current inflation rate. After years of absorbing rising costs, many employers are now facing tough decisions about raising employees’ share of the premium, eliminating benefits, or passing costs onto customers.
Unlike egg prices, though, the healthcare cost trend isn’t primarily a supply-and-demand issue. A big chunk of runaway healthcare spending (as much as 25%, by some estimates) is due to inefficiency and waste, including overtreatment, undertreatment, low-quality providers, and uncoordinated care. The healthcare system is basically dropping three eggs from every carton on the floor, and employers are left to clean up the mess.
Reining in this avoidable and unsustainable spending isn’t as simple as cutting benefits or increasing premiums. In fact, limiting healthcare access can backfire if individuals forgo essential care, leading to a sicker workforce in the short term and snowballing costs in the long run.
Unscramble the mess
The reality is, if we’re going to unscramble the mess of healthcare, we need a collective shift in our expectations and mindset. Employers and consumers alike—all healthcare purchasers, in fact—need to demand a new focus on value.
We need to move away à la carte “egg” purchases where—as though we’re in a supermarket aisle—fees are associated with volume, and total costs can only be managed with portion control (or as we say in healthcare, utilization management). This model has blinded people to what they’re spending and getting in return, undermining trust in the healthcare system as a whole. Instead, we need a healthcare model where a person’s holistic needs are front and center. A model that incentivizes ongoing engagement, building trust over time, and consistently guiding people toward high-quality care—including more care, when that’s best for them.
The future of higher-value, lower-cost healthcare is one in which people and purchasers have access to a broader range of services and settings (both virtual and in person). It offers personalized advocacy and support (including with clinical guidance, bills, and claims). And it offers an all-in-one experience—a departure from the fragmented maze we’ve all become accustomed to. Innovators and leaders on the front lines of healthcare management and purchasing are starting to recognize this, and are reorienting their solutions, partnerships, and models to ensure that people get the care they deserve, where, and when they need it.
While egg prices may have our attention now, we can’t lose sight of creating a healthcare system and experience that’s actually worth the high price we all pay. And in healthcare, unlike with groceries, the key to affordability isn’t buying less or cutting corners on quality. It’s investing in the services and outcomes that deliver real value for our hard-earned money.
Owen Tripp is cofounder and CEO of Included Health.
The Fast Company Impact Council is a private membership community of influential leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual membership dues for access to peer learning and thought leadership opportunities, events and more.
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