October 17, 2025
Employers and Patients Want Transparency and Better Tech From Healthcare
Both employers and patients are running out of patience with healthcare. The latest study from Zelis shows they’re asking for the same things: clear prices, simpler tools, and technology that works the way it should.
The report, The State of the Healthcare Financial Experience, suggests that frustration has turned into expectation. People no longer see digital tools and transparency as nice extras. They’ve become the minimum standard for a system that remains slow, confusing, and opaque.
What People Want Most
Around 60% of employers already offer some kind of price comparison tool, but most admit employees barely use them. The reason is that they’re clunky, hard to navigate, and not connected to anything else.
Consumers say they’d happily pay a little more to fix that. Seventy percent would spend an extra $10 a month for access to tools that actually help, such as cost comparison, appointment booking, or finding cheaper medications. Forty percent rank price transparency as the single biggest improvement healthcare providers could make.
People want what every other industry already offers: one bill, mobile payment options, and better links to their HSA or FSA accounts.
The Employer Shift
Cost still matters, but the employee experience now carries equal weight. Many see health benefits as a way to attract and keep talent, not just an expense to control.
That shift is showing up in the data. More than half of employers say they’re considering switching carriers or vendors in the next year. Loyalty to legacy providers is fading, with the focus moving toward measurable results, like speed, simplicity, and satisfaction.
Artificial intelligence is no longer a buzzword in healthcare benefits. Eighty percent of employers believe it will make a noticeable difference within two years, mostly through faster claims, better accuracy, and predictive analytics. Sixty percent are already testing or using AI to manage benefits.
Most consumers are open to AI handling claims or scheduling. They use it in their daily lives already; they just want to know there’s still a person to talk to when things go wrong.
Despite the messiness of the system, there’s a sense of optimism. Eighty-five percent of employers think meaningful change is within reach. Almost half of consumers say access and quality have already improved.
The fact is, people don’t want a new kind of healthcare but the one that finally makes sense.
