9 challenges health care organizations will face in 2026 and how to overcome them

Emerging drugs, such as cell and gene therapies, come with intricate delivery logistics and high price tags. Pharmaceutical developments in 2023 are also reshaping the healthcare landscape, particularly concerning high-cost drugs. This shift toward ecosystem-level care management is likely to continue into 2024, presenting both opportunities and challenges for patient access and care delivery as health systems seek financial survival pathways.

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• The challenge for health systems is not simply to adopt new technologies, but to align them with sustainable business models, empowered workforces, and whole-health outcomes that deliver lasting value for patients.
• More than half (55%) also see savings potential from the increased use of predictive analytics to optimize the workforce, while 49% expect benefits from tech-enabled patient engagement and remote monitoring.
• Engage clinicians to boost tech and cost initiatives—unlock better outcomes, trust, and savings in US health systems.
• Beyond the financial impact, such incidents can harm an organization’s reputation and erode the trust of patients and communities.

In 2023, healthcare policy changes exerted a profound influence on the industry, with far-reaching implications. As we look ahead, it is evident that the healthcare industry will continue to evolve, presenting both challenges and opportunities for key stakeholders. Amber Nigam is CEO and cofounder of basys.ai, a Harvard-based company streamlining prior authorization for health plans with generative AI. At Mercer, we're proud to partner with healthcare organizations nationwide to help them navigate these challenges. While healthcare salary surveys provide a solid foundation, Mercer's consulting and advisory services help organizations translate data into strategy. This detailed benchmarking allows HR and total rewards professionals to compare pay practices across markets, facilities, and job families.

Lack of accessibility discourages patients from seeking needed care

Workforce instability is affecting all sizes of healthcare organizations, ranging from small community hospitals to large academic medical centers as well as federal health agencies such as the CDC, FDA, and NIH. Addressing burnout at a systemic level, not just individually, will continue to be a key differentiator in the years ahead. The combination of long hours, administrative burden, and emotional fatigue erodes engagement and well-being across healthcare roles.

Insights from Mercer's compensation survey

The 2025 Healthcare Compensation survey includes data from 2,846 organizations and over 3 million incumbents across 778 positions. A shift toward value-based care models is further driving the adoption of technology and integrated care models. Telehealth and other digital health tools have expanded access to underserved populations, while hospital-at-home programs allow patients to receive acute-level care from the comfort of home. As workforce and cost pressures mount, healthcare organizations are reimagining how and where care is delivered. For HR leaders, this reinforces the importance of maintaining compensation structures that are both sustainable and competitive, supported by robust, industry-specific data. Healthcare organizations also face rising workforce expenses fueled by competition, inflation, and reliance on premium contract labor.

Our goal is to draw upon research and experience from throughout our professional services organization, and that of coauthors in academia and business, to advance the conversation on a broad spectrum of topics of interest to executives and government leaders. During his career he has worked and lived in a number of countries including Ireland, UK, Holland, USA and China and is also a trained High School Teacher. With over 20 years' experience in health and social policy, Mike is also a recognised leader in health reform with extensive contemporary experience of health policy, planning, funding and performance issues. In both these roles, Mike is committed to making an impact that matters in economic, social and environmental policy both locally and overseas.

A 2025 survey found that 65% of nurses report high levels of stress and burnout, and only 39% plan to stay in their current position over the next year. Meanwhile, the US could face a shortfall of 3.2 million direct care professionals by 2026, including home health aides, medical assistants, and nursing assistants. The healthcare industry faces numerous challenges in the year ahead, four of which are outlined below. For HR and total rewards leaders, competition for talent, especially skilled clinical workers, will remain intense for years. The Bureau of Labor Statistics anticipates that healthcare employment will increase faster than the average for all occupations through 2033. While service demand continues to rise, the size of the qualified talent pool has not, especially in clinical roles.

Prediction 3: Increased adoption of value-based care to diversify payment models

However, 31% of respondents reported “moderate” financial returns and 3% said the ROI has been “significant.” In the year ahead, surveyed executives expect gen AI and agentic AI to account for 19% of their technology budgets. In addition to some regulatory uncertainty, health systems are under increasing pressure to demonstrate a clear return on investment for their AI initiatives. In the absence of an AI-specific law, provinces and their health systems continue to rely on existing privacy laws to guide AI use.

This partnership exemplifies health systems seeking financial healthcare industry challenges survival pathways through collaborations to navigate the evolving healthcare landscape. Look to collaborate strategically and maintain a keen watch on government-led scrutiny and purchaser disruption to navigate the changing landscape effectively. A notable example includes SCAN Group and CareOregon's merger into HealthRight Group, creating a $6.8 billion nonprofit health plan with 800,000 members. Medicare Advantage and Medicaid experienced dynamic changes, presenting both challenges and opportunities for growth. Regulatory pressures from The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Congress, state legislatures, and the surgeon general led to significant shifts in prior authorization requirements.