Nearly 90% of Gen Z workers who received a cancer diagnosis had avoided a screening beforehand, according to a nationally representative survey of 2,000 employed US adults conducted in March 2026 by Kantar Profiles on behalf of Aflac Incorporated. The finding points to a healthcare behavior shift with direct implications for employer plan design and stop-loss exposure.
The survey found that 51% of Gen Z believe a cancer diagnosis is unlikely in their lifetime. Nearly half of Americans overall (46%) do not know when they should begin cancer screenings. The American Cancer Society has reported that early detection can push five-year survival rates above 90% for many cancers, widening the distance between potential outcomes and actual screening behavior.
QBE North America's 2026 Accident and Health Market Report found that neoplasms account for 36% of all stop-loss claim reimbursements, the leading diagnosis across all deductible levels. At the $200,000 deductible level, neoplasm claim severity rose 12% from prior-year averages and frequency climbed nearly 30%.
The screening avoidance pattern has a behavioral driver. The Aflac survey found that 76% of Gen Z and 63% of millennials use AI as a first step for health support before seeking professional medical care, compared to 47% of Americans overall. A further 18% of Gen Z and 14% of millennials say they will only schedule a doctor's appointment after exhausting AI or online tools entirely.
At the same time, 65% of Gen Z and 61% of millennials admit to delaying or skipping routine checkups and screenings. The survey identified cost concerns, long wait times, and the perception of good health as the primary barriers, compared to 47% of Gen X and 33% of baby boomers who report the same avoidance.
Matthew Owenby, Aflac's chief human resources officer and chief administrative officer, said the digital trend is not inherently problematic, but the downstream effects on preventive care are. "What is alarming is the rate that Gen Z is delaying or forgoing preventive care, greatly lessening the opportunity for early detection or a critical health diagnosis from a medical professional," he said.
When younger workers do seek care, they are doing so reactively. Gen Z's use of emergency rooms and urgent care as a primary healthcare source rose to 62% in 2026 from 51% in 2025, and more than two in five Americans overall now use those settings rather than primary care.
Prior authorization, referral requirements, and step therapy protocols assume a primary care entry point. As the share of younger workers who bypass that entry point grows, benefit plan designs built on that assumption face a structural misalignment with actual workforce behavior.
The survey was conducted among employed US adults ages 18 to 65 and is in its fourth annual edition.
