Preventive care is collapsing, and employers may soon pay the price

• Key Insight: Learn why preventative-care collapse is reshaping employer health strategies.
• What's at Stake: Rising late-stage illness could sharply increase employer claims and premiums.
• Supporting Data: Only 17% plan annual physicals — a 45% drop from 2024.
  Source: Bullets generated by AI with editorial review

Just 17% of employees plan to get an annual physical this year, — a 45% decline from 2024, according to a new nationwide survey on workforce health  that reveals some concerning trends about what experts are calling the "collapse" of preventative care. 

The data was included in  HealthJoy's fourth annual Member Health Goals Report, which surveyed more than 100,000 members.

Missing one routine doctor appointment may not seem like a big deal, but it can have major consequences down the road for both workers and employers, said David Lawrence, vice president of product strategy for HealthJoy.

"The collapse of preventative care is projected to be one of the biggest problems employers face over the next decade, and when the cascading costs show up in claims data, it will be too late," Lawrence said. 

Regular checkups help doctors catch diseases like cancer earlier, manage chronic conditions more effectively, and step in before patients need more serious and costly treatment, he added. 

"That single missed appointment can potentially cascade to hundreds of thousands of dollars in downstream care and treatment," Lawrence said. "And that adds up, on top of ever increasing healthcare premiums."

HealthJoy helps employees navigate healthcare benefits, find care, and reduce healthcare costs through a digital concierge platform. The company's latest study was conducted between Jan. 1, 2025, and the end of February 2026.

In addition to trends about preventative care, the study also revealed rises in chronic disease and mental health issues. 

Around 60% of respondents reported managing at least one chronic condition, a leading driver of healthcare costs. Notably, every age group over 36 saw double-digit growth in self-reported chronic conditions in 2025 compared to the previous year.

Nearly half reported a mental health concern, which may reflect a worsening crisis, reduced stigma, or a combination of the two, the report concluded. 

Lawrence recently spoke to Employee Benefit News about the Health Goals Report and how employers should respond to it. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. 

What's driving the sharp drop in employees getting annual physicals?
Most of HealthJoy's 1 million-plus members know annual preventative care is covered so it's not solely an awareness problem. The decline we see among our members speaks to issues impacting the wider healthcare industry. Those issues include well-documented primary care shortages, friction with booking appointments weeks to months out, and surprise healthcare costs that can drive distrust in the system that's supposed to be caring for them. And finally, we know there are members who are just not engaged with their benefits at all, turning up in urgent care or the ER with an unexpected bill at the end.

What risks come from employees delaying or skipping preventive care?
Skipping preventive care creates a "perfect storm" of delayed diagnoses and late-stage treatments. For example, early-stage cancer treatment typically costs $200,000 to $250,000 less in the first year compared to a late-stage diagnosis. The unmanaged hypertension and diabetes becomes a stroke or chronic kidney disease. The costs add up along these care journeys, leading to major bills down the line.

What specific interventions are most effective in getting employees to complete annual physicals?
There are a few specific interventions that have proven successful, starting with giving employees tools that can reach them in the right moments, personalize the experience, and remove friction. Generic emails to get an annual physical might not move the needle, but a personalized reminder that includes the name of an in-network practice in the neighborhood with appointments next week can help close the gap. Removing friction can also look like expanding options for care, including virtual options to supplement in-person primary care, further easing scheduling and availability challenges.

Are mental health and physical health issues increasingly connected?
The report shows a deep connection that broader medical research supports: 60.6% of members with chronic pain also report struggling with their mental health. This creates a "feedback loop" where physical and emotional pain amplify one another. Interestingly, the highest growth in this comorbidity was seen among men, who experienced an 8.3% increase over the last year.

How should employers rethink coverage design around GLP-1 demand?
GLP-1s are here to stay, and the health benefits are clear across a variety of outcomes. Employers can no longer ignore the category and will need proactive strategies that balance demand with affordability. Last year, HealthJoy introduced a partnership with CareValidate to instill clinical rigor into the process as well as source lower cost prescriptions for eligible members. From an employee interest perspective, we're seeing open rates of over 50% on email communications about these benefits. The ability to offer access to lower-cost, out-of-pocket medications helps both the employer manage the cost while still allowing employees to access these medications when appropriate.

What's the single most important message for benefit leaders here?
The time to intervene is now, not when the claims data comes in months — or years — from now. And that intervention cannot rely on passive education or navigation. The opportunity is clear — how many of the 83% of members can employers engage and incentivize this year? The status quo of inaction is a 2027 renewal disaster in the making.