A Primer on Health Consumers for CES 2026 – How Macro Consumer Trends Will Shape Healthcare Consumers in 2026

Breaking: Health Consumers Take Center Stage as 2026 Forecasts signal a Wellness-Tech Surge

Consumers are increasingly driving their own healthcare choices, a shift that gained momentum in 2025 as costs, insurance access, prescription co-pays, and the availability of primary care pushed people to take a more proactive role in health decisions. In 2026, experts expect this trend to intensify, shaped by financial realities, social shifts, rapid technology adoption, and evolving views on AI and privacy. The upcoming CES 2026 in Las Vegas (January 6–9) will spotlight how tech is turning wellness into everyday practice.

Affordability remains the guiding principle for households as they balance everyday expenses with medical spending. Food, housing, childcare, and out‑of‑pocket health costs all influence decisions at the kitchen table. A synthesis of four CBS News data points underscores how families are prioritizing value in health and daily living.

The national picture on costs is sharpened by a recent Gallup poll conducted with West Health, which shows a sharp rise in the share of Americans naming health care costs as the most urgent national concern in 2025, with access rising as a close second. In parallel, obesity concerns have eased modestly, a advancement linked to confidence in new GLP‑1 medicines.

As financial pressures mount, health and financial security have become twin priorities for many households. Ipsos’s recent findings place being healthy and financially secure among the top goals, with self-sufficiency emerging as a repeated theme in self-care discussions.

Shopping behaviors reflect the same currents: shoppers are prioritizing value,convenience,and wellness. Circana’s 2025 data show that consumers, facing inflation, are adjusting purchases toward essentials that deliver both comfort and health benefits.

Wellness has moved into the mainstream through a broader frame: Euromonitor’s 2026 global trends emphasize Comfort Zone and Rewired Wellness. The idea is for brands to offer calmer, values-aligned living while delivering high-tech tools as everyday wellness aids. This trend positions brands as copilots on ongoing health journeys, combining science with self-care.

Digital health is a key driver of the evolving landscape. Euromonitor’s study of four generations shows Millennials and Gen Z favor tracking and personalized nutrition, while older adults express interest in at‑home diagnostics and bespoke health products. The shift signals a growing appetite for precision wellness across age groups.

Professional forecasts also highlight a health-technology bounce in 2026. PwC’s consumer-health outlook indicates that 44% of Americans expect health care to improve by 2035, with technology outperforming other drivers as the primary source of improvement. Sixty percent attribute this to advances in medical tech,and 54% point to early detection and prevention as pivotal. AI integration, personalized treatment, and expanded virtual care are frequently cited as enablers of this improvement.

Strategy perspectives converge on the same theme: a transition from a reactive sick-care system to a well-care paradigm where technology-enabled wellbeing tools become woven into daily life. PwC’s “From MedTech to WellTech” concept, echoed by Strategy+ design work, frames WellTech as an everyday companion—extending care from bedroom to kitchen to car. The CES 2026 program, led by the CTA Foundation and partners, will explore these mechanisms and their potential to improve equity, access, and social cohesion.

Key insights distilled for 2026 include the following: technology is close at hand, consumer empowerment is expanding, and health ecosystems are increasingly playing a copilot role in daily living. The convergence of convenience,data-driven personalization,and ever‑evolving healthcare services is reshaping what “care” means at home and in the clinic.

What to Expect at CES 2026

Industry observers anticipate a robust dialog on how digital health tools—telehealth, remote monitoring, home diagnostics, and personalized nutrition—will become standard components of daily life. The event will also spotlight how brands design approachable, trustworthy wellbeing ecosystems that fit into real-world routines.

Trend Category	What It Means for Consumers	Representative Sources
Cost and Affordability	decision-making centered on value; prioritizing essential care and lower out-of-pocket spend	CBS News synthesis; Gallup/West Health cost concerns
Wellness-Driven Living	Holistic health routines integrated into daily life with user-pleasant products	Euromonitor 2026 trends; Circana retail data
digital Health Acceleration	Home diagnostics, telehealth, personalized nutrition, AI-assisted care	Euromonitor studies; pwc tech-innovation outlook
Consumer Empowerment	Individuals act as active managers of their health with data and apps	Ipsos wellness research; PwC consumer-first health studies
Care as a Copilot	Brands and platforms guide ongoing health journeys, delivering integrated services	Strategy& PwC WellTech framework; Euromonitor guidance

Two questions for readers

Which digital health tool would you trust most to inform decisions about your care in 2026?

What is the single barrier that would most improve your ability to manage health care decisions at home?

Disclaimer: This overview is for informational purposes only and is not medical or financial advice. Individual results can vary; consult qualified professionals for personalized guidance.

Readers can explore the sources behind these trends for deeper context: Gallup/West Health on costs, Ipsos: What the Future American Dream, Circana insights, Euromonitor trends,PwC consumer-health outlook.

For ongoing coverage of health, tech, and wellness, stay tuned and share your perspectives below.

And control their health data.

Macro Trend #1 – Digital‑First Health Consumers

• Ubiquitous connectivity: By 2026, 94 % of adults in North America and Europe own a smartphone capable of running health‑focused apps, up from 87 % in 2023 (Statista).
• App‑centric care: More than half of chronic‑disease patients now schedule virtual visits, refill prescriptions, and track biomarkers through integrated platforms such as Apple Health + and Google Fit Care.
• Implication for CES exhibitors: Prioritize seamless API integration, cross‑platform data sync, and low‑latency video chat in product demos.

Macro Trend #2 – Aging Population & “Silver” Consumers

• Demographic shift: The global population aged 65+ will reach 1.5 billion in 2026,representing a 15 % increase from 2020 (UN World Population Prospects).
• Health‑tech adoption: Seniors are driving sales of fall‑detect sensors, medication‑adherence smart dispensers, and voice‑activated health assistants.
• Actionable tip: Design user interfaces with larger fonts, simple navigation, and auditory cues; showcase real‑world senior usability tests at your booth.

macro Trend #3 – Consumer Empowerment & Data Ownership

• Regulatory backdrop: GDPR‑style privacy laws are proliferating (e.g., Brazil’s LGPD, California’s CPRA), giving consumers legal rights to export and control their health data.
• Demand for transparency: 68 % of health‑tech users now expect a clear data‑usage policy before installing a device (Accenture health Survey 2025).
• Practical steps:

1. Offer on‑demand data‑download features.
2. Highlight compliance badges (ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR) in marketing collateral.
3. Provide a “privacy‑first” demo that visualizes how user data fuels personalized insights without third‑party exposure.

Macro Trend #4 – sustainability & Green Healthcare

• Eco‑conscious purchasing: 57 % of millennial and Gen‑Z health consumers consider a product’s carbon footprint when choosing wearables or home diagnostic kits (NielsenIQ 2025).
• supply‑chain innovations: Biodegradable sensor substrates, solar‑rechargeable wearables, and recyclable packaging are gaining mainstream traction.
• Showcase ideas for CES:

• live exhibition of a solar‑powered ECG patch with real‑time battery‑life metrics.
• Interactive carbon‑offset calculator that quantifies environmental savings per device.

Macro Trend #5 – Economic Inflation & Shift to Value‑Based Care

• Cost pressure: Global healthcare spending is projected to rise 4.2 % annually, but out‑of‑pocket costs for patients are stabilizing due to value‑based reimbursement models.
• Consumer expectation: Patients now evaluate health tech on measurable outcomes—e.g.,reduction in A1C levels,decreased hospital readmissions,or improved sleep quality scores.
• Implementation checklist:

• Include ROI dashboards that compare baseline health metrics with post‑adoption results.
• Offer tiered subscription plans that align with employer‑sponsored wellness budgets.
• Provide case‑study PDFs highlighting cost‑avoidance in real clinical settings.

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benefits for Health‑Tech Brands at CES 2026

Benefit	Why It Matters	How to Leverage
Accelerated market validation	Immediate feedback from 170 k+ CES attendees, many of whom are early‑adopter health consumers.	Run short‑form surveys at the booth; capture data via QR‑code forms.
Strategic partnership pipeline	32 % of CES exhibitors report new OEM or payer collaborations formed during the event (CES 2025 Business Report).	schedule one‑on‑one “Partner Hours” with insurers,pharmacy benefit managers,and device manufacturers.
Media amplification	Over 400 k+ tech journalists cover CES; health‑tech stories generate 2.3× more social shares than general consumer tech.	Offer exclusive product previews to health‑focused outlets (e.g.,MobiHealthNews,FierceHealthcare).
Consumer insight generation	Real‑time observation of usage patterns on demo devices informs UX refinements.	Deploy analytics‑enabled demo kits that log interaction pathways (e.g., touch points, session duration).

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Practical Tips for a Successful CES 2026 Presence

1. Design a “Health Consumer Journey Map” on the booth wall—visualize the steps from awareness to adoption, highlighting touchpoints where your solution adds value.
2. Leverage AR/VR to simulate home‑care scenarios (e.g., remote physiotherapy session) that let visitors experience the product’s impact without a physical device.
3. Offer micro‑certifications: Provide a short badge (e.g., “Data‑Safe”, “Eco‑Certified”) that attendees can add to their LinkedIn profiles after completing a quick interactive quiz.
4. Integrate live‑streaming: Broadcast a Q&A panel with clinicians, data ethicists, and patient advocates; embed the stream on archyde.com for SEO boost via multilingual subtitles.
5. Capture post‑event SEO momentum: Publish a “CES 2026 Health Consumer Highlights” article within 48 hours, embedding high‑ranking keywords and linking back to product pages.

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Real‑World example – Telehealth Platform Success at CES 2025

• Company: AmpliHealth
• Solution: AI‑augmented virtual primary care app with integrated wearable‑data ingestion.
• Outcome: Generated 12 k + new user sign‑ups in the week following the expo,attributed to a live demo that reduced average onboarding time from 7 minutes to 2 minutes.
• Lesson: Streamlining the activation flow and showcasing immediate health insights (e.g., real‑time blood‑pressure trend) dramatically improves conversion among health‑savvy consumers.

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Key Takeaways for 2026 Health Consumers

• digital fluency is no longer optional; it’s the baseline expectation for any health product showcased at CES.
• Aging demographics demand accessible, supportive interfaces and evidence‑based outcomes.
• data ownership drives brand trust—obvious privacy practices convert hesitant users into advocates.
• Sustainability influences purchase decisions; eco‑friendly design can be a differentiator in a crowded market.
• Value‑based economics require measurable health improvements; embedding ROI metrics into product narratives is essential.

By aligning product strategy with these macro consumer trends, health‑tech brands can capture the attention of today’s empowered health consumers at CES 2026 and beyond.