Description
As health systems set their sights on 2026, they’re navigating a complex landscape—tightening budgets, shifting priorities, and fresh market pressures that are redefining how they evaluate partnerships. We’ll cover:
Health system financial health: Where margins stand—and what’s driving performance heading into 2026
Policy pressures: The shifts expected to hit hardest early next year—from Medicaid reform to 340B and the ripple effects of a government shutdown
Market shifts: The latest on DTC expansion, payvider consolidation, Medicare Advantage pullbacks, and AI in action.
Walk away with the clarity and insights you need to meet health system partners where they’re headed.
Session Themes
Margins may be stabilizing, but the margin for error is shrinking. Financial performance is improving unevenly, and capital discipline is becoming a defining factor in who can invest, partner, and grow heading into 2026.
Policy uncertainty is no longer theoretical—it’s operational. From Medicaid and 340B changes to mandatory risk models and workforce financing shifts, health systems are preparing for policy-driven disruption that will directly affect care delivery and partnerships.
The commercial landscape is fragmenting faster than expected. Direct-to-patient models, payvider expansion, and Medicare Advantage pullbacks are reshaping referral flows, revenue stability, and who controls the patient relationship.
AI and ASCs are moving from “strategy” to execution mode. Health systems are prioritizing pilots, hard ROI, and scalable operating models—while accelerating investment in ambulatory sites and outsourced capabilities.