The outlook for health care in 2025
As we embark on 2025, the health care industry, providers and patients should be prepared for a lot of innovation, and not a little bit of uncertainty. Here are some of the trends people are talking about.
Wellness, not just the avoidance of illness
Millennials, those born between 1981 and 1996, are entering middle age with a focus on wellness, which they are passing along to their children. Wellness is a daily, active pursuit for millennials. They are eating healthier and exercising more than previous generations. They smoke less. Almost half consider healthy eating a lifestyle choice as opposed to a goal-driven diet. They value family and togetherness.
Besides healthy eating and exercise, wellness involves activities like digital detoxing, sleeping better, using mindfulness practices, purposeful travel and work-life balance.
The technological revolution continues
Wearables (fitness trackers, sleep monitors and the like) help us track our wellness activities, and they will remain popular in the coming year, but there’s so much more to health care technology.
For example, artificial intelligence (AI) is being improved to deliver pinpoint treatments, more accurately read test results and diagnose illnesses. Innovations in 3D printing will let clinicians “print” customized joint replacements and implants for patients.
Telehealth and virtual health care assistants are making care more accessible to more people. Companies like Target provide virtual health care to all their employees, regardless of whether they are eligible for health insurance.
More weight-loss drugs and coverage
Health care costs are expected to rise about 8% in 2025, driven largely by wider use of GLP-1 drugs (such as Mounjaro, Wegovy and Ozempic) to treat obesity and diabetes. One report by financial research companies Morningstar and PitchBook predicted that the GLP-1 market will hit $200 billion by 2031 and that 16 new obesity drugs could emerge within the next five years.
While some insurers are dropping coverage for GLP-1 drugs when prescribed for obesity, more than a quarter of employers are considering adding coverage in 2025 or 2026, according to a national survey conducted by Mercer, the human resources consulting firm.
If your employer is one of those, you can expect your insurance premiums to increase. On the other hand, losing weight and controlling diabetes is likely to improve your overall health, so it might be a good investment.
Changes on the pharma front
Drug prices are expected to increase by nearly 4% in 2025. However, the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act brought several welcome changes for people on Medicare.
Starting in 2025, all Medicare Part D prescription drug plans will have an annual out-of-pocket cap of $2,000. After reaching this cap, members will not have to pay additional costs for the rest of the year. The act also capped covered insulin products at $35 a month and provides free recommended vaccines, such as for shingles and RSV.
Meanwhile, the pharmaceutical industry is expected to launch nearly 70 new therapeutics in 2025, many of which are expected to improve treatments for particular cancers and autoimmune diseases, as well as some rare conditions.
Changes in U.S. health administration
With a new administration in charge, questions abound about health care.
If Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is confirmed as secretary of Health and Human Services, how might that change U.S. public health policies? Under the Inflation Reduction Act, Medicare was authorized to negotiate the prices of 10 popular but expensive drugs with manufacturers. Will that process continue or be curtailed under a new administration?
Stay tuned!
And closer to home …
The new year is bringing with it changes for me, too.
I will be expanding my Nurse Advocate Entrepreneur program, helping more nurses and others with medical backgrounds start their own patient advocacy practices. This will help me focus on a huge area of concern for me — making sure there are enough patient advocates to meet a growing need.
I have sold NShore Patient Advocates to Margo Marasa, a registered nurse and board-certified patient advocate. Like me, Margo is passionate about ensuring clients have the best possible outcomes by acting as a bridge between patients and their health care providers. She will be carrying on the company under a new name, Allegiance Patient Advocates.
Meanwhile, I will still be writing this Monday column and sharing my insights with you into self-care, caregiving, wellness and the health care system. Happy new year, all!
• Teri (Dreher) Frykenberg, a registered nurse, board-certified patient advocate and author, is the founder of Nurse Advocate Entrepreneur, which prepares medical professionals to become private patient advocates. Reach her at Teri@NurseAdvocateEntrepreneur.com. Readers with questions about patient advocacy may contact Margo Marasa, owner of Allegiance Patient Advocacy, for a free consultation. Contact her at margo@allegiancepa.org or (773) 732-0762.