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Deloitte Survey: 3 Key Challenges Threaten Women's Health Progress in the US
According to a survey by the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions women are 35% more likely than men to skip or delay medical care over a year. This can lead to untreated conditions increasing costs at personal, organizational and societal levels.
In February 2024, Deloitte surveyed about 2,000 US consumers to explore how the country can provide high-quality health care for everyone regardless of gender.
The 2024 Deloitte Health Care Consumer Survey the 12th of its kind since 2008 identified three major design flaws in the US health care system that create significant barriers to receiving optimal care, with a disproportionate impact on women.
Addressing these issues could help reduce gender-based inequities in health care and enhance overall well-being. Improvements could also benefit women’s families, employers, and the broader US health care system by preventing negative ripple effects.
The 2024 Deloitte Health Care Consumer Survey included a range of gender identities however the sample size was not sufficient to analyze responses from individuals identifying as transgender men ,transgender women, agender, or nonbinary.
How women are using—or forgoing—health care services
Alongside our survey of US consumers we performed an actuarial analysis of medical claims data to identify health conditions that are either unique to or more prevalent among men and women.
Our analysis revealed that women generally need about 9.9% more health care services than men even when excluding maternity-related expenses. This difference may be attributed to various biological factors or differences in disease prevalence.
For example women are more susceptible to autoimmune disorders and Alzheimer’s disease and conditions such as heart disease manifest differently in women compared to men.
The US health care system was initially designed based on data primarily from male subjects. Consequently, many medications, treatments, and medical devices were developed with male biology as the default leading to a historical underrepresentation and under prioritization of women’s health needs.
However there are promising signs of progress. For instance there is an increasing focus on venture funding for women’s health initiatives though challenges still exist.
Our survey highlights a notable gender disparity in the use of health care services. We found that 50% of women reported delaying or skipping health care services over the past year, compared to 37% of men. We also delved deeper into the types of services being skipped.
Both men and women most commonly missed treatment for acute illnesses such as the flu or viral infections with 38% of women and 37% of men reporting this. Additionally, 34% of the women surveyed said they had delayed or skipped visits related to women’s health including screenings and care for maternal health, obstetrics or gynecology.
In comparison only 19% of women reported delaying or skipping dermatology visits. Although not specifically covered by our survey, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that women are also more likely than men to forgo prescription medications.
These findings underscore significant gaps in how health care services are accessed and utilized by different genders reflecting both the historical biases in the health care system and ongoing challenges in meeting women’s health needs.
Individuals who skip or postpone routine care may eventually need more intensive treatments or emergency interventions which can be more costly and may increase both the severity of their health issues and the overall expense of their care.
Preventive services play a crucial role in maintaining or improving health by preventing illnesses from developing or progressing into more severe and expensive conditions.
Despite their importance approximately one-third of survey respondents regardless of gender, reported forgoing preventive services such as vaccinations and cancer screenings over the past year.
Our survey also indicated that women are more likely than men to delay or avoid mental health services due to cost with 29% of women citing financial constraints compared to 22% of men.
Mental health conditions like anxiety and depression are more prevalent among women and conditions such as perinatal depression and premenstrual dysphoric disorder exclusively affect women.
Skipping necessary mental health care because it is unaffordable or inaccessible can worsen these conditions potentially leading to more intensive and costly care later.
Additionally the survey revealed that younger individuals, regardless of gender are more likely to skip mental health care. The decision to forgo care due to cost varies significantly across generations.
Among those surveyed 47% of Generation Z respondents (born 1997 and later) reported skipping mental health services because of cost, whereas only 19% of Generation X respondents (born 1965 to 1981) did.
This generational difference underscores how the impact of cost on accessing mental health care varies across age groups.
Three structural design flaws may cause women to defer or skip care
According to data from the National Center for Health Statistics and Deloitte’s actuarial analysis women typically have more health-related appointments than men.
This could explain why a higher percentage of women reported skipping or delaying care in our survey. Essentially because women generally have more appointments they may encounter more opportunities to skip or delay care within a given year.
Our research and analysis have identified three key factors contributing to gender inequities in health care.
Addressing these factors could lead to improved health outcomes for everyone regardless of gender.
Addressing the US gender equity gap in health care
Although the US health care system has historically fallen short in providing equitable outcomes for women recent developments suggest a potential shift. New federal initiatives are likely to spark increased interest and investment in women’s health.
In March 2024 the White House issued an executive order to expand federal research on women’s health issues. Additionally the National Institutes of Health has been tasked with allocating $200 million to a new research program aimed at exploring women’s cardiovascular and neurological health.
Women hold various critical roles in society including leaders, employees, community members, caregivers and consumers.
They make up nearly 60% of the paid workforce and 65% of the unpaid workforce in the US, often making key family health care decisions and providing care for children and other family members.
These roles underscore the urgent need to address gender-based inequities in health care. By tackling these disparities we can improve overall community well-being and economic prosperity while also reducing the broader impacts on families, employers and the US health care system.
This renewed focus on women’s health has the potential to bridge the gender gap in health care and transform the US health care landscape, paving the way for a healthier and more equitable future.