State of Healthcare Affordability: 2025 Reports
A Pivotal Year for Healthcare Affordability
2025 has been a defining year for the people at the heart of healthcare. Patients continue to face growing financial strain that shapes if and when they seek care, and shifting policies add new uncertainty for families and health systems.
To better understand these challenges, PayZen’s 2025 national affordability reports offer the most comprehensive view to date of what patients and providers are experiencing — and the insights health systems need to plan for 2026 and beyond.
State of Healthcare Affordability: The Patient Perspective 2025
From a national survey of 1,000 patients, this report examines how rising healthcare costs are influencing care decisions — from delayed treatment to financial stress — and highlights actions health systems can take today to improve access and affordability.
38% of patients delayed or skipped care due to cost
$83/month is what the average American can afford for medical bills
The number of parents delaying a child’s care tripled in one year
State of Healthcare Affordability: The Provider Perspective 2025
Based on insights from 213 healthcare revenue cycle executives, this report explores how affordability challenges are impacting collections, bad debt, and operational performance — and how providers are adapting.
3 in 4 patient bills go uncollected
58% of systems cap in-house payment plans at 24 months
Hospitals implementing pre-service payment policies see a 20% lift in collections