Insights From 100,000+ Employees Nationwide Reveal Where Benefits Consultants and Employers Can Focus Interventions to Stem Escalating Healthcare Costs and Improve Workforce Health
CHICAGO, IL / ACCESS Newswire / April 30, 2026 / HealthJoy, the Benefits Operating System for self-insured employers nationwide, today released its fourth annual Member Health Goals Report predicting upcoming trends in workforce health ahead of a daunting 2027 renewal season. Findings reveal a notable decline in employees pursuing preventive care, with only 17% of respondents planning to complete their annual physical in 2026. This decline comes despite a rise in chronic health conditions, cancer diagnoses among younger employees, surgical escalations, and physical and mental co-morbidities - which could be mitigated by regular preventative care. Without the right tools to guide employees to timely, appropriate care, these trends could drive up healthcare costs even further than projected.
"This year's findings reveal alarming downward trends in workforce health that could have widespread consequences in the coming months," said Justin Holland, CEO of HealthJoy. "Preventive care and early diagnosis are vital levers for managing downstream healthcare costs. Our customers who meaningfully encourage these behaviors are winning the zero-trend or negative-trend strategy amidst rising costs elsewhere. Pursuing this strategy means not only intercepting employees in the moment they need care, but also proactively engaging and incentivizing them across the year. That is exactly what we're solving for with the HealthJoy Benefits Operating System."
Beyond the steep decline in primary care utilization, this year's report identifies critical health trends and behaviors poised to drive up costs and negatively impact workforce health:
Chronic disease is the new normal: Roughly 60% of members report managing at least one chronic condition. This category is among the top drivers of healthcare costs, so the earlier issues are identified and the closer they are managed, the better the financial and health outcomes.
The Millennial & Gen Z health needs are rising: While often overlooked in high-risk assessments, younger employees are reporting higher instances of cancer (up 25% in just the past year) and increasing medication usage (6.9% more 18- to 25-year-old members report taking prescriptions since last year).
GLP-1s are here to stay: As of February 2026, nearly 60% of members reported a weight loss goal. While the benefits of GLP-1s are undeniable, employers need to structure coverage and eligibility to meet employees' needs while absorbing these costs more effectively.
Mental Health stigma is fading: Nearly half (49.7%) of members reported a mental health concern in 2025. This presents a major opportunity to connect employees with vetted providers and resources, addressing this significant need that is often avoided due to limited networks and high out-of-pocket costs.
Physician pain is a (multi-layered) pain: 35% of members report chronic musculoskeletal (MSK) pain, an 8% increase from the previous year. Critically, over 60% of these members also report a mental health struggle. Failure to intervene before unnecessary surgeries, or treating physical and mental pain in siloes, leads to higher costs and poorer outcomes.
HealthJoy's Member Health Goals Report leverages proprietary member intent data from a customer base of more than 1,500 self-insured employers and over one million members. Rather than rely on reactive insurance claims that make timely intervention impossible, HealthJoy assesses employees' current and future healthcare needs based on self-reporting of their goals and intentions. This latest study represents the replies of 106,768 members between January 1, 2025, and February 28, 2026.
This proprietary data provides vital insights to the employer and delivers a more personalized experience for members, guiding them towards better and more affordable care. At the center of HealthJoy's solution is its AI-powered Benefits Operating System, which leverages Predictive Steerage to drive 2-3 times greater utilization of high-value health services while reducing overall medical services costs by 18% on average per service.
For more information about this year's Report, download the full report. To hear more about HealthJoy's Benefits OS solution, visit healthjoy.com.
About HealthJoy
Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Chicago, HealthJoy is the Benefits Operating System that closes the execution gap between the benefits strategy employers design and how employees actually use it. Trusted by more than 1,500 employers and over one million members nationwide, HealthJoy works as the active engine of an employer's benefits plan - using proprietary AI to identify and engage members before a claim occurs, then executing the logistics to ensure the right care happens. Unlike siloed carrier apps and navigation tools that wait for members to come to them, HealthJoy's proactive model steers every member to the highest-value care across the entire benefits stack, backed by a 24/7 Healthcare Concierge team trained on each employer's specific plan design. The result: benefits strategies that finally perform as designed, with the data to prove it. HealthJoy is a Series D company backed by leading healthcare and technology investors.
CONTACT:
Iz Conroy | econroy@healthjoy.com
SOURCE: HealthJoy
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:
https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/healthcare-and-pharmaceutical/the-preventative-care-crisis-healthjoys-predictive-analytics-report-r-1162488
