The Female Health Decision Maker: What Healthcare Companies Are Missing

Women make 80% of healthcare decisions for their households and are 33% more likely than men to seek medical services, according to the American Heart Association. It’s critical for health care companies – insurers, health systems, and medical practices – to understand women’s approach to these decisions for themselves and their families.

Making Tradeoffs

Healthcare is a significant line item in any household budget, and one that women have to balance alongside other core needs from groceries to utilities. And growing costs in other categories place pressure on resources for health.

Women (42%) are more likely than men (36%) to cut back on things they need due to inflation, according to empatiX Consulting proprietary research. This presents an opportunity to become a trusted partner by connecting women to free and low-cost community resources that can support them and their families. This can be a win-win as women feel supported and their engagement with the company grows.

ASK: How can my brand help women find and access health-related community services?

The Caregiver Gap

Of the 60 million+ caregivers in the U.S., the majority are women, according to the APA. They are not only making decisions for themselves and their household, but often they do so for extended family and friends. While the tools for managing healthcare needs and costs have rapidly advanced, they don’t often account for the needs of a caregiver.

Caregivers (both women and men) need to manage multiple accounts across multiple health plans and providers. Even when everyone is on the same plan, accounts often aren’t connected, benefits and payments differ radically, and policies and processes aren’t standard. This gap in consideration of the caregiver experience makes their jobs all the more difficult.

ASK: How might my brand streamline the experience and burden female caregivers experience?

Doing Their Research

Women are leveraging the vast amount of information online to support their health decisions. General health websites are the most common source of info (65%) according to eMarketer, but don’t ignore social media to reach them. Millennial and Gen Z women in particular (36% and 45%) rely on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok to support their health-related needs.

Providing trustworthy information in these spaces is a key opportunity to support their decision making. Focus on routine questions/needs related to women and family health, and provide resources for deeper exploration to build credibility and trust.

ASK: How is my brand presence online and on social media supporting women’s health decision making?

---

Healthcare companies have an opportunity to differentiate themselves and drive brand loyalty by addressing the core needs of their female customers. As the healthcare CEOs of their households, they are gatekeepers of brand growth and retention — and that gate can be opened by focusing on improving their experiences. 

Need help considering how to impact member experiences or unpacking these insights about women in health? Drop us a line, we'd love to connect!