Trends in Health and Wellness 2026: Insights for Providers

The health and wellness landscape is quickly changing. Today, patients and clients look for convenient ways to connect with their providers and receive personalized guidance, with clear information about care and costs. These shifts may influence how practices deliver services, organize workflows and communicate with the people they serve.

Understanding the major trends in health and wellness shaping 2026 — including digital innovation, preventive care, personalization and rising cost expectations — may help providers strengthen engagement, support patient and client decision-making and prepare for the year ahead.

Financial Trends in Health and Wellness

National health spending continues to grow. The most recent year with confirmed national health spending data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is 2023, when spending was reported to have grown 7.5% to $4.9 trillion. CMS projections released in June 2025 indicated that national health spending is expected to grow an average of 5.8% from 2024 through 2033, compared with 4.3% average growth in GDP.¹

Higher spending may influence how patients and clients think about treatment decisions, as well as how providers prepare for the year ahead. These financial pressures can lead patients and clients to look for clearer guidance, more preventive support and greater clarity about expected costs.

Care models may also continue to shift as more people use digital tools and seek coordinated communication across services. Providers preparing for 2026 may explore new ways to meet rising patient expectations, including enhanced digital integration, improved care coordination and increased transparency around costs and outcomes.

Technology Shaping Healthcare Industry Trends

Digital care tools continue to gain importance in clinical practice. A 2024 review of telemedicine interventions for adults with type 2 diabetes found that telemedicine improved hemoglobin levels, reduced blood pressure and strengthened diabetes management, supporting its role in chronic disease management.² These findings may suggest continued interest in flexible, technology-supported care models in 2026.

• Artificial intelligence (AI) may also play a growing role in remote patient management and clinical decision support. AI-enabled monitoring may help detect early changes in health status, support trend recognition and reduce clinical workload during routine chronic disease management. For example, ophthalmologists can use multimodal AI to analyze OCT and fundus images together to help detect eye diseases.

• Wearable devices continue to influence preventive care. A 2024 review of wearables noted that these devices can provide continuous monitoring of key health indicators and support self-management for people with chronic health conditions.³ Researchers reported that these tools can track indicators related to blood pressure, sleep time and quality, weight and BMI.³ Providers may expect more patients and clients to use wearable device data to manage their health between visits.

Evolving Provider Roles and Care Models

Many practices now rely on teams that share responsibility for patient and client support. Collaborative care structures may help staff manage communication needs, support more complex cases and deliver more integrated services.

Hybrid care, which combines in-office visits with remote check-ins or guidance, may remain a preferred option for many patients and clients. Providers preparing for 2026 may consider these shifts as part of broader strategies to adapt to healthcare consumerism, including aligning services with expectations for convenience and patient-friendly communication.

Growing Integration of Health and Wellness Practices

Many practices may blend clinical services with wellness-oriented support as patients' needs change. Providers may offer nutrition guidance, sleep and stress management support, recovery services and lifestyle coaching to help patients and clients focus on long-term wellness.

Integrative lifestyle approaches that combine weight loss and nutrition, physical activity and stress management can help improve long-term outcomes in conditions influenced by these factors.⁴ This interest in broader wellness support reflects rising expectations among patients and clients who may want guidance that extends beyond acute needs.

Shift toward preventive and integrative care

Interest in preventive care may continue to grow as more patients and clients look for long-term wellness support. Research shows that preventive programs that combine early detection, lifestyle support and continuous monitoring can improve outcomes and reduce disease progression.⁴

Wearable devices and remote monitoring platforms may reinforce this shift. The review on wearables found that these tools track activity, heart rate patterns, sleep quality and other indicators that can support long-term wellness behaviors.³ Providers who use these insights may be better positioned to help patients and clients stay on track with their health goals.

Rising demand for mental health and emotional awareness

Providers should remain attentive to the rising demand for mental health and emotional well-being support across all age groups. A 2025 report on digital mental health tools stated that in 2024, 40% of adults reporting serious psychological distress used a digital health tool, up from 21% in 2017 and 10% in 2013, and called for population mental health models that combine digital tools with clinical support.⁵

AI and digital tools may also extend virtual support across diverse populations, possibly reducing the stigma individuals may feel about seeking help.⁶

Providers entering 2026 may explore screening processes, referral pathways or partnerships to support patient and client needs in this area.

Cost Transparency and Patient Financing

National health spending trends may shape how patients and clients think about financial considerations. As costs rise for many households, people may look for clearer conversations about expected expenses and treatment timelines.

A 2025 KFF poll found that 44% of adults surveyed said it is difficult to afford healthcare costs, and 36% delayed or skipped care due to cost concerns.⁷ This data highlights patients’ need for up-front information about healthcare expenses and financing options to better manage these expenses.

Offer flexible financing at your practice

Offering patient financing options such as the CareCredit credit card can help practices address affordability concerns. Presenting financing options during treatment planning can help support comfort and readiness to move forward with routine and more complex care plans.

Practices can also review key trends in healthcare payments to understand how patient expectations about payment methods and financial conversations continue to change.

Staying Ahead With Emerging Trends in Health and Wellness

The trends that may shape 2026 will likely reflect growing interest in convenience, personalization, prevention and transparent financial communication. Providers who track digital innovation, wellness integration and the growing demand for mental health support can strengthen relationships with patients and clients.

Adopting supportive tools and offering flexible payment options, including patient financing through CareCredit, can help practices align with evolving expectations and guide individuals through their care experience.

Offer Flexible Financing at Your Practice

If you are looking for a way to connect your patients or clients with flexible financing that empowers them to pay for the care they want and need, consider offering the CareCredit credit card as a financing solution. CareCredit allows cardholders to pay for out-of-pocket health and wellness expenses over time while helping enhance the payments process for your practice or business.

When you accept CareCredit, patients or clients can see if they prequalify with no impact to their credit score, and those who apply, if approved, can take advantage of special financing on qualifying purchases.* Additionally, you will be paid directly within two business days.

Learn more about the CareCredit credit card as a financing solution or start the provider enrollment process by filling out this form.

Author Bio

Sarita Harbour is a freelance writer with more than 15 years of experience covering personal finance, consumer banking, small business banking and credit for online audiences. Her work has appeared on sites such as Forbes, TIME/MONEY, MSN, The Motley Fool, First Horizon Bank, Investopedia and more.

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