Women’s Health: ROI for Healthcare Decision-Maker

Women make up half of the global population, make 80% of healthcare decisions and are 33% more likely than men to seek medical services.^1,2 Despite this pivotal role, women face significant disparities in healthcare access, outcomes and costs. Working women in the United States, on average, spend 18% more on healthcare expenses compared to men, but still spends 25% more time in poor health.^3,4 This glaring gap in women’s health highlights not only an urgent need for change but also an extraordinary market opportunity. According to a report by WHAM, the women’s health market is projected to reach $30 billion by 2030, with 95% of the women’s health market having untapped potential.⁵ In fact, studies show a staggering 300% growth rate on investment.⁶ At this pivotal juncture in the state of the women’s healthcare market, ecosystem stakeholders — including investors, payors, providers, governments and innovators—have a unique opportunity to drive equitable, innovative solutions in women’s healthcare.

Because of inherent biological differences, women face unique health needs that are both exclusive and different from those of men. Even at a fundamental level, life stages differ significantly: while men’s life stages are generally charted through childhood, puberty, adolescence, and adulthood, women’s life stages are closely intertwined with their reproductive cycle.^7,8 At each phase of this cycle — puberty and menstruation, pregnancy and delivery, and menopause — women experience specific sexual and reproductive health needs that are exclusive to them. Women are also differentially affected by common conditions (cancer, brain health, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disease, etc.), adding to their overall health burden. For instance, women account for 78% of all autoimmune disease cases and represent two-thirds of all Alzheimer’s cases.^9,10

Despite the recognition that women have both exclusive and differential health needs compared to men, women continue to spend a significant portion of their lives in poorer health. This lack of progress in understanding the complexities of women’s bodies can be traced to a reinforcing cycle of underinvestment, inadequate research, and systemic bias in women’s healthcare.

More specifically, this cycle is perpetuated by three key factors:

• Systemic medical bias, often referred to as medical misogyny, has historically positioned the male body as the default in medicine.¹¹
• There has been historic underinvestment in women’s health; as recently as 2020, only 11% of the NIH budget and 5% of the global R&D budget was allocated to women-specific studies.¹²
• Women’s health remains under-researched. In fact, it wasn’t until 1993 that U.S. clinical studies and NIH-funded research were required to include women.¹³

The pervasive bias has created an environment that deprioritizes investment in women’s health, resulting in limited data and weakened scientific understanding of women’s unique health needs. Without a strong scientific foundation, efforts to attract new investments become even more challenging. Ultimately, these three phenomena work in concert to create a self-perpetuating cycle that stalls progress and leaves women with significant challenges in accessing better health care. These challenges include, but are not limited to: delayed diagnosis, ineffective treatments, mis/under diagnosis, lower reimbursements, inequitable care delivery, inadequate patient/provider education, and insufficient access to care.

Ideal Future Experience “5 C’s”

The current model of women’s health must evolve from disconnected, single-symptom treatment that is often biased, neglected and devalued, to an integrated health hub that is equitable, holistic, innovative, knowledgeable and sustainable.

At FTI Consulting, we believe that the key to transforming the future of women’s health lies in a human-centered and comprehensive model that delivers optimal care across the five key dimensions of the healthcare consumer experience, or 5 C’s: care, compassion, convenience, content and cost. To accomplish this, we propose a new model of care delivery, a women’s health hub, that centers on two key pillars: “Women’s Care for Her” and “Women’s Care for the Family.” The model emphasizes integration, prevention, collaboration and convenience, addressing the needs of a woman across her lifetime and in the family setting, as relevant. Through this, we envision a care experience where:

• CARE: Women receive cutting-edge, personalized care through precision medicine, advanced technologies, and ongoing research investments that drive innovations addressing conditions unique to, or disproportionately affecting, women.
• COMPASSION: Healthcare environments prioritize privacy, comfort and empathetic care, with well-trained providers that foster trust through clear communication and addressing women’s physical and emotional needs.
• CONVENIENCE: Barriers to accessing care are eliminated through women’s health hubs that seamlessly integrate digital and physical services, and offer flexible care options that accommodate personal schedules, family responsibilities and individual cycles.
• CONTENT: Comprehensive educational resources are designed for each stage of a woman’s life and specific health needs to empower women to make well-informed decisions, while healthcare providers with specialized training in women’s health ensure access to reliable advice and guidance.
• COST: Women’s health is valued appropriately, with fair, affordable and transparent pricing for routine care and specialized treatments, and is supported by equitable reimbursement policies and expanded Medicare and Medicaid coverage to ensure comprehensive financial support for all women.

This transformed experience focuses on a life course approach that encompasses both the individual woman and family-centered care. Services range from wellness to treatment, focused on comprehensive data collection for a more connected and quality care experience.

Path to Enablement

This transformative model of care requires policy reform, strategic investment and dedicated research. Each stakeholder in the ecosystem — hospitals, payors, investors, employers, governments and innovative startups — is uniquely positioned to contribute to and benefit from the execution of tailored initiatives that advance women’s health.

Providers adopt a cost-effective, integrated health hub offering comprehensive, equitable care for women at all life stages:

• Integrated women’s health hub combining primary, specialty and preventive care, utilizing digital tools to seamlessly connect primary and secondary services
• Strategic partnerships with researchers and community organizations to drive innovation in treatments and enhance women’s health education
• Preventive screenings for early detection of disease and investment in technologies enabling precision medicine
• A diverse, community-reflective workforce equipped with competency training for equitable care delivery
• Collaboration with digital health innovators to advance and adopt cutting-edge healthcare solutions
• Expansion of the health workforce to address the full spectrum of women’s health needs, including roles such as doulas and lactation consultants

Payors address coverage/reimbursement structures and systemic inequities to increase access to care and lower healthcare costs:

• Expanded coverage for gender-specific services, including lactation consultants, doulas and community health workers
• Incentives for value-based outcomes that promote comprehensive, holistic models of women’s care
• Refined reimbursement policies prioritizing wellness and preventive screenings to ensure equitable compensation for women’s health services
• Dynamic, value-based reimbursement models designed to address care barriers and foster provider collaboration
• Increased investment in research initiatives to enhance access to women’s health information and support informed decision-making

Federal, state and local government work to expand coverage and access to comprehensive care through policy, funding and educational initiatives:

• Public policies that promote comprehensive coverage for women’s health while incentivizing value-based care models
• Federal investment into research and development to ensure equitable allocation of research funds and expansion of grants and innovation programs
• Adjustment of reimbursement structures and RVUs to address gender disparities in health services and reduce financial barriers for women
• Enhanced access to educational resources through centralized health information databases and strengthened requirements for provider training
• Policies providing tax incentives and grants to drive innovation in women’s health, fostering private-sector collaboration to scale cutting-edge solutions

Employers can support women’s unique needs by offering greater flexibility, increasing productivity and reducing the gender health disparities:

• Coverage expansion for preventive care to address long-term health challenges and reduce overall costs
• Implementation of flexible work schedules and wellness programs that account for the impacts of menstrual cycles, pregnancy, menopause and other women-specific health needs
• Payor collaboration to advocate for health plan reforms that align with value-based care principles
• Inclusive workspaces that destigmatize women’s health topics and encourage open dialogues about sensitive issues like menstruation and menopause
• Partnerships with innovative healthcare companies to advance workplace equity and support women’s health initiatives

Investors can accelerate the innovation of cutting-edge women’s health technologies to drive scale and impact in areas of unmet need:

• Consolidated point solutions into a digitally enabled hub model to create comprehensive and integrated women’s health solutions
• Investment in cutting-edge diagnostic devices and pharmaceuticals in areas of heavy unmet need, such as post-partum hemorrhage, endometriosis and uterine issues
• Collaboration with hospital systems and providers to help funded companies with customer acquisitions and go-to-market support

Innovative startups can explore building solutions in areas of unmet needs to bridge the gaps in women’s healthcare offerings:

• Digital solutions designed to enhance precision diagnostics and prevention, drive advancements in research, develop effective therapeutics, innovate medical devices for treatment and continuous monitoring, and expand avenues for robust provider education
• Solutions focused on improving affordability, strengthening service integration and accessibility, and empowering women to take greater agency in their healthcare

Women are often referred to as a “special population” in research.¹⁴ Though undoubtedly biologically unique from men, by making up 3.95 billion — roughly half — of the global population, women are an integral part of society, not a subset.¹⁵ Women have long been overlooked in terms of their unique and different health needs; however, today, we as a society are uniquely positioned to close this persistent gender health gap that has endured far longer than warranted.

Today we know more about women’s health than ever before. Innovative digital solutions like FloLiving, Simplifed, and Elektra Health have surfaced to occupy the critical gaps that exist in comprehensive women’s health care, offering solutions across various life stages. FloLiving is a hormonal health platform that helps women maintain hormonal balance, offering guidance to prevent or ameliorate long-term menstrual and reproductive health challenges.¹⁶ Simplifed is a maternal health platform that allows women to access breastfeeding/baby feeding support from pregnancy through postpartum from the convenience of their home.¹⁷ Finally, digital platforms like Elektra Health offer medical care, community support and coaching for women going through menopause.¹⁸ These cutting-edge innovations are not just improving outcomes but paving the way for a more equitable, comprehensive and safer health journey for women everywhere.

US-based, VC-backed women’s health companies raised a collective $1.19 billion in 2024 across 111 deals.¹⁹ Despite common misperception, women’s health investments frequently outperform broader healthcare investments, as they are fueled by strong demand and innovation.²⁰ By embracing the 5 C’s to build an equitable and comprehensive women’s health offering, market players have the chance to position themselves as leaders and pioneers in transforming women’s healthcare globally.