January 8, 2026

The telehealth flexibility was first enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic to preserve access to care while limiting in-person contact. Brown University researchers found that during the first 17 days of a recent lapse in these subsidies, during the government shutdown, fee-for-service telehealth visits declined by 24% nationwide, highlighting how uncertainty around coverage can quickly disrupt access to care.

Nearly 7 in 10 health-related conversations with ChatGPT occur outside typical clinical hours, suggesting users are seeking information when they cannot readily access their providers. This trend presents challenges for the healthcare system, as AI chatbots can occasionally generate incorrect or misleading information that patients may have difficulty identifying.

HHS’s new 340B rebate pilot requiring hospitals to pay full drug prices upfront and seek rebates later was blocked by a federal judge, who ruled it was rushed, lacked proper process, and would cause irreparable financial harm to safety-net hospitals. The decision pauses the pilot amid ongoing debate over the program’s rapid growth and whether 340B discounts are being used as intended, though the administration has appealed.

Healthcare providers enter 2026 in a more stable position, with easing labor pressures, recovered patient volumes, and modest margin improvement. Key trends include tighter cost control ahead of Medicaid and ACA reimbursement cuts, more selective M&A focused on scale and efficiency rather than rescues, shifting workforce models amid persistent physician shortages, and more ROI-driven, targeted adoption of AI tools.

This emerging challenge highlights the growing strain on local health systems and budgets when national policy shifts reduce coverage and shift more responsibility for care onto counties and community providers.