Americans are getting chronic illnesses more often and earlier in life, report finds

Americans are getting sick more often and earlier in life, according to a new report from health insurance group UnitedHealthcare and the non-profit Health Action Council.

The number of health care claims for Millennials and Gen Zers are rising, leading to a year-over-year growth rate that is nearly double that of Baby Boomers as more young Americans develop chronic conditions earlier in life than other generations.

The report also found that major health events with medical claims exceeding $100,000 a year – such as heart attacks or strokes – are now about twice as common as they were just five years ago, with average monthly claims rising by 40 percent since 2020.

The findings come as rates of multiple cancers have risen in young Americans, and researchers have tied Americans’ ultraprocessed food-heavy diets to premature death and other illnesses.

UnitedHealthcare also highlighted that the cost of health care benefits is outpacing wage growth, as the price of living in America rises and citizens struggle to pay their bills.

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“These trends highlight why employers need deeper, more actionable insights to identify emerging risks and gaps in care,” Craig Kurtzweil, the chief data and analytics officer for UnitedHealthcare Employer & Individual, explained in a statement.

“By analyzing claims data alongside geographic and community health factors, we can help employers identify at-risk populations sooner and take targeted steps to help improve outcomes and lower costs.”

Millennials and Gen Zers have grown up in a different eating environment than Baby Boomers.

Generation X – born between 1965 and 1980 – were the first generation to grow up around ultraprocessed food. Now, the foods, such as frozen pizza and cookies, make up around 60 percent of the U.S. diet.

In an effort to reverse some of the health impacts of ultraprocessed foods, Trump administration health leaders have moved to eliminate synthetic food dyes added to make products more enticing for consumers, as well as changed the food pyramid, placing an emphasis on protein.

Ultraprocessed foods, typically high in bad fats, sodium and sugar, have been linked to increasing rates of obesity that is a risk factor for diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

Still, doctors don’t know exactly what’s behind increasing rates of cancer in young people, although younger screening ages have played a part.

“We have yet to identify any singular reason, although it’s likely related to a multitude of factors — possibly including lifestyle or environmental ones,” UChicago Medicine oncologist Dr. Adam DuVall explained in a statement.

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The report also found other worrisome trends when it comes to Americans’ health.

Health care spending rose by 7.5 percent between 2022 and 2023 and by 7.2 percent between 2023 and 2024, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

A recent poll of more than 1,400 U.S. adults found that the cost of health care is now the most worrying issue for Americans, with two-thirds concerned about paying for health insurance and out-of-pocket costs.

This comes as the cost of living has remained high, with consumer prices over 24 percent more expensive since the Covid pandemic, according to an August 2025 analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data from the personal finance website Bankrate.

UnitedHealthcare proposes two solutions for the problems it highlights that seek to "identify and address rising health risks and make care more affordable."

First, it encourages expanded access to primary care and regular checkups and screenings for younger Americans, to stop small concerns from ballooning into major problems for their health.

Second, the report advises using early intervention programs and predictive analytics to identify people who are the most at risk of health complications.

“When someone shows early signs of a high-risk condition, encourage use of digital health tools, condition support programs and care management outreach that can engage an employee when early indicators of rising risk appear,” UnitedHealthcare says.