This month, the online healthcare booking platform Zocdoc presented an end-of-the-year report that shed light on diverse trends in patient behavior. The data, sourced from the millions of visitors to Zocdoc each month, revealed interesting insights such as a growing demand for sleep medicine specialists, a notable spike in mental health appointments during the summer, and a relatively low rate of telehealth visits.

Unveiling the Future of Healthcare with Zocdoc's Insights

Patients Will Increasingly Opt for Cash-Pay Healthcare

Most Americans with health coverage have grown accustomed to seeking care from in-network providers. However, these patients often face unexpected out-of-pocket costs, which can be a shock. Kharraz pointed out that given the continuous rise in healthcare costs and the prevalence of high-deductible plans, it's not surprising to see more patients seeking guaranteed, upfront, and transparent pricing. He believes this trend will extend to areas like prescriptions and longevity-focused diagnostics, such as bundled services like labs and MRIs. Additionally, healthcare is becoming more consumer-driven, and niche cash-pay services are likely to gain popularity. For instance, in the booking data, when patients chose to go out-of-network this year, it was mainly for mental health, cosmetic treatments, and dental care.There is a shift in patient preferences towards more affordable and transparent healthcare options. Cash-pay services offer patients the opportunity to have better control over their healthcare expenses. This trend not only benefits patients but also puts pressure on the healthcare system to become more cost-effective and transparent.

Amazon Will Restructure its Healthcare Assets

Over the past few years, tech and retail giants like Walmart, Apple, and Google have faced challenges in entering the complex healthcare sector. Amazon is no exception, and Kharraz believes there is a high likelihood that the company will make significant changes to its healthcare offerings in 2025. As a tech behemoth, it makes sense to utilize core competencies to capitalize on the nearly $5 trillion healthcare spend in the US. For example, Amazon has tried to leverage its retail strengths, Apple has focused on its hardware capabilities, and Google has entered the sector with a data-first strategy.However, Kharraz noted that healthcare is difficult to disrupt from the inside-out, and the current approach has not been successful. Amazon's healthcare efforts have not been very profitable, and it is not sustainable for the company to continue incurring hundreds of millions in losses. He suspects that 2025 will be the year when Amazon realizes that they don't have the right formula to make in-person healthcare work, and managing healthcare providers is a different business from managing logistics. Therefore, Amazon is likely to refocus on its pharmacy benefits, which are easier to scale compared to care delivery offerings.

GLP-1 Adoption Will Increase

The report predicted that more Americans will start using GLP-1 medications in 2025. The decrease in GLP-1 supply issues has led to a reduction in prices, making these medications more accessible to many Americans who couldn't afford them in the past. This will have several downstream effects. For instance, payers are likely to start treating these drugs differently. There is an evolution in their coverage, and we are already seeing payers, including Medicare and Medicaid, facing pressure to expand access to weight loss drugs.Compounders played a role in filling supply gaps when GLP-1 production was slow. But now that these drugs are more readily available, patients will choose less expensive, FDA-approved options instead of compounded drugs. The increased adoption of GLP-1s will also cause some indirect effects. There may be a reduced demand for traditional weight loss medications, bariatric surgeries, and possibly insulin therapy in some patients. GLP-1s have the potential to reduce obesity-related comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers. We are still in the early stages of observing their impact on Americans' health and the care delivery system.