Why Health Care Costs Are At a Breaking Point – and Why Control Is the Conversation Now

A new Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) Health Tracking Poll confirms what employers and health plans have been feeling for years: health care costs are now the public’s top economic concern, outranking food, housing, and transportation. More than two-thirds of Americans say they worry about health care affordability, and over 40% say it will directly influence how they vote in the upcoming midterms.

This moment matters – not because health care costs are newly rising, but because public tolerance for unpredictability has finally run out.

For employers and health plans, this marks a shift from a cost trend problem to a control problem – and that distinction is critical.

Why This Matters Now: From “How Much” to “Who’s in Control”

Historically, conversations about health care costs have centered on ROI projections, long-term savings, or engagement metrics. But the KFF data signals a deeper issue: people no longer feel that health care costs are understandable, navigable, or manageable.

Employees don’t know where to go for care, or what it will cost them. Employers feel benefits spend is uniquely resistant to traditional cost-control levers. Health plans are under pressure to improve health care affordability without sacrificing access or outcomes.

Solera’s visibility into the market also indicates CFOs are not looking for another savings promise. They are looking for predictability, accountability, and ownership – the same fundamentals they expect in every other cost center.

Why Employers and Health Plans Need a Different Approach

The KFF findings reinforce that affordability isn’t just about lowering premiums or negotiating harder with vendors. It’s about reducing fragmentation, eliminating redundant fixed costs, and restoring clarity across the care journey.

For employer health benefits, this means moving beyond point-solution sprawl, prioritizing access and fit over engagement metrics, and reducing administrative overhead.

For health plan cost management, it means differentiation through coordination, enterprise scalability, and clearer cost containment pathways.

Why This Matters to Solera

At Solera, we see this data as validation that the next phase of health care cost predictability and management requires establishing control as the foundation for sustainable cost-of-care outcomes. Our model prioritizes fixed-cost reduction, vendor consolidation, and single-point ownership – restoring credibility and clarity early, so long-term clinical and financial outcomes can follow.

The Bottom Line

Health care costs are no longer just a line item – they are a defining stressor for individuals and institutions alike. Organizations that can restore clarity and control will be best positioned to earn trust and drive sustainable change.

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