Nearly a Third of Patients Say They Skip Treatment Over Cost Worries

A 2026 industry write-up claims three in ten patients avoid treatment purely because they don't know what it'll cost, and over half would come sooner if the price were on the table upfront. This includes practices like yours, if you charge money for anything at all.

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Practices that keep pricing vague are, according to this claim, quietly losing patients who'd rather stay uncomfortable than risk an unexpected invoice.

Original ResearchA piece on healthcare marketing leadership arguing that being upfront about cost could be a selling point rather than a liability
Sourcehttps://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2026-07-15-gartner-survey-shows-healthcare-cmos-can-lead-on-cost-transparency-for-a-competitive-advantage
OverviewThe piece argues healthcare marketing leaders could win trust by publishing prices, though the headline figures themselves aren't tied to any named survey or sample.
Year2026
PublisherIndustry body, Gartner
Relevance to WellbeingCost anxiety is a familiar barrier in private healthcare and wellness settings alike, so the underlying idea, if not the exact numbers, tracks with what clinics and centres already suspect about hesitant patients.
Our VerdictToo early to tell the sentiment is plausible and useful, but the 30% and 55% figures have no visible survey, sample, or source behind them, so treat them as a talking point, not a statistic.
Our Summary
  • The underlying logic, that unclear pricing puts people off, matches long-standing patient behaviour research even if this particular figure doesn't.
  • No methodology, sample size, or original survey is named anywhere on the page.
  • It's a useful nudge to check your own pricing page, whatever the real percentage turns out to be.
  • Presented with the confidence of hard data when it's really an unsourced claim dressed up as one.
Our Geo ViewAssumes a pay-per-treatment healthcare model typical of the US; less directly relevant where treatment is NHS-funded, though UK private clinics, therapists, and aesthetic practices still apply.
Abstract of wellbeing niches and revenue flow
Recognise how this might impact your practice

Why this might matter to you

  • Coaching: this matters because a client who's quietly worrying about the invoice isn't fully listening to your pitch either.
  • Therapy: this matters because people already delay therapy for a dozen reasons, and an unclear fee shouldn't be one you're handing them for free.
  • Training: this matters because a class pass with a hidden extra charge is a fast way to lose someone who was almost convinced.
  • Alternative Healing: this matters because sceptical clients are already nervous about the woo, let alone the bill.
  • Clinical: this matters because clinical settings carry the heaviest cost anxiety, and vague pricing there reads as evasive rather than discreet.
  • Retreat/Centre: this matters because a big upfront number with no breakdown is exactly the sort of thing that makes people close the tab.

Where this came from

A Gartner newsroom piece encouraging healthcare marketing leaders to treat honest pricing as an advantage rather than a risk.

Gartner newsroom, dated 15 July 2026. The specific 30%/55% figures are not attributed to any named survey, report, or dataset on the page itself.

Credibility flags: no methodology disclosed, sample size not disclosed, publisher type is an industry analyst firm rather than a research body for this particular claim.

How we scored this

A relevance score out of 100, built from three things: how well it fits the six practice types, how recent it is, and how solid the methodology behind it is.

50%
Practice fit, 50How new, 100How solid, 0

Marked down heavily on how solid the method is, since the headline figures carry no visible sourcing, while practice fit and recency score reasonably well because the topic and timing are current and applicable.

Faces of satisfied clients
It's worth considering changes to your marketing practices

What this means for your marketing

  • Put a plain-English price list on your website, even a rough one, before someone asks and decides not to book instead.
  • Say the cost of a first session before the client has to ask, ideally in the same breath as what they'll get for it.
  • Brief your front desk or booking assistant to quote prices without the apologetic tone, as if it's a normal thing to say out loud.
  • Don't quietly hope people will "just ask" about cost. Most of them won't. They'll just not come back.
  • If your pricing is genuinely complicated, publish a worked example instead of a vague range.

Who this is most useful for

Practice typeRelevanceRecommended action
CoachingMediumClarify package pricing upfront on your site and in intro calls
TherapyHighList session fees plainly rather than "enquire for pricing"
TrainingMediumShow full cost of a course or pass including any extras
Alternative HealingMediumPublish a simple price list to reduce first-visit hesitation
Clinical PracticesHighGive clear, itemised pricing before treatment is booked
Retreats/CentresHighBreak the headline price into what it actually covers

Best before

Best before: revisit if Gartner or another named body publishes an actual sourced version of these figures; until then, treat this as a prompt to check your own pricing transparency, care of Sunlight Creations.

What next?

Every practice owner has, at some point, dodged saying the price out loud and lost the client to their own imagination instead.

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