The disruptor playbook is changing in 2026. Payviders have slowed their M&A activity, but they're tightening their grip on the benefit design and referral levers that determine where patients actually go. PE is pulling capital out of care delivery, leaving physician groups searching for buyers. And distributors are building competing physician networks in oncology, urology, and GI in a bid to lock in buy-and-bill specialty drug spend.
We wanted to stress-test how strategy leaders are thinking about these shifts, so at a recent Strategy Catalyst webinar, we offered three deliberately controversial claims about these disruptors to 180+ health system strategy leaders on the line (you can check out the full hour-long recording here). We wanted debate, and we got it: one provocation split the room nearly in half, and even the claims that drew consensus surfaced important tensions.
Think of these as thought experiments rather than settled predictions. Each one highlights a strategic question your organization needs to grapple with now.