SOURCE: Trends to Watch in 2026 | Business Group on Health
Disruption of the current ecosystem is necessary to bring about sustained change.
It is well known that the status quo in health care does not serve the best interests of employers or employees. The shortcomings in the health care ecosystem are further exacerbated by mounting cost pressures and challenges with the employee experience amid system fragmentation and elevated out-of-pocket costs. As such, protecting or retaining the status quo in the name of consistency or “minimizing noise” may turn out to be more “disruptive” to employees than making necessary changes would be.
Against this backdrop, employers must compel both leadership and employees to embrace change. In part, 2026 will represent a time of steep change management driven by those in HR/Benefits and perhaps required by Finance. They will need to educate leadership on the need to make changes within plans and programs. Convincing employees that “change is good” in health care is challenging, but it is also doable, given the flaws in the current system. Patients are losing trust in the health care system, which is linked to marginal health risk improvement, low patient engagement and an overall subpar experience. These factors necessitate bolder change.
