More than two-thirds of health plan and system executives plan to outperform their competitors in 2026, according to a recent study. report from Deloitte.
Yet many people do not have a very confident outlook on the healthcare sector. About 43% of executives feel “uncertain” or “neutral” about the near-term outlook for the industry, up from 28% last year. This is primarily due to policy and regulatory uncertainty, such as the expiration of Affordable Care Act subsidies and uncertainty regarding Medicare telehealth flexibilities.
“The majority of U.S. health care and health plan executives expect to outperform their competitors next year, but by following their traditional strategy,” Alicia Janisch, vice president and head of U.S. health care at Deloitte, said in an interview. “However, these traditional strategies may not be up to the task in the face of all the increasing financial and regulatory pressures facing the healthcare sector. Our outlook findings indicate growing anxiety over policy changes and ongoing affordability issues in a period of ongoing transformation for digital adoption and care models.”
Deloitte’s 2026 U.S. Healthcare Outlook survey received responses from 120 U.S. senior health plan and system executives. Additional findings from the report include:
1. Investment in digital delivery: Consumers continue to receive care digitally for convenience. More than 90% of consumers who have had a virtual medical visit say they are ready to have another one. Additionally, 37% of consumers use health monitoring devices and 47% use devices for fitness and health tracking.
Because of this interest among consumers, approximately 60% of health plan and health system executives say they are considering investing in virtual health services to support preventative care.
2. Evolve AI: More than 80% of executives believe generic AI and agentic AI can deliver “moderate to significant value across a range of functions in 2026, from clinical and business operations to back-office functions.” However, 49% of organizations are still experimenting with AI and 18% of organizations have not adopted AI at all. Only a third of healthcare organizations use AI on a large scale.
Areas where generic AI and agentic AI can add value to payers and health systems include providing clinical care, reducing administrative burden, and improving consumer and staff experiences.
“Achieving scale through AI means implementing the technology enterprise-wide and achieving measurable financial impact,” the report states. “Healthcare organizations that deploy AI across multiple functions, rather than isolating it in specific departments, can significantly reduce administrative burdens, accelerate decision-making, and improve outcomes and consumer experiences. »
3. Partnership with other industries: About 80% of executives say that collaborating with other industries, such as retail, technology and grocery, is a priority for executives. For example, working with community organizations can help meet social and economic needs, while partnering with retailers can address food-related needs.
“It’s important to think about joining forces and where innovation can come from outside of health care,” Janisch said.
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