Blue “tsunami” as Dems sweep both chambers of Congress in the 2026 midterms and set the stage for healthcare policy over the next few years While the full results of the 2026 midterms are still pending, Democrats have, as of this writing, secured control of both the House and the Senate, giving us a better idea of where healthcare policy is headed over the next couple of years. In today’s post, we’ll look at what a Democratic Congress means for healthcare policy and cover whe

Patients are already cutting back to afford care, and the coverage losses haven’t fully hit yet

By Christopher Kerns Margin challenges have been afflicting both plans and providers—in different ways but for interconnected reasons. And it’s worth reflecting on why this is true, and how unusual it is. Historically, the usual tug-of-war from the payment/revenue cycle tends to more favorable to payers or providers in any given year. But over the past two years, a strange quagmire has developed: health plans have struggled with outlays that have exceeded their internal actua

Before we dive in today, a quick plug: We recently launched "The Margin Initiative," a dedicated effort to support health system leadership via insight and analysis. This initiative includes a customizable analysis, access to our latest margin research, and a seat at our upcoming health system executive collaborative where we'll present our latest, future-focused research and provide a secure, closed space for confidential, non-competitive sharing. Seats are on a "first-in,

Health systems and insurers usually move in opposite directions. Not this quarter.

This administration moved faster on health policy than almost anyone predicted. Here's what changed.

The next forced efficiency leap is here. Find out where healthcare AI is delivering proven ROI — and what the data says about getting the investment right.

Health system leaders are increasingly telling us they're not satisfied with their third-party vendor volume forecasts. Learn what's driving their challenge.

This week we zoom around the virtual halls of Union Healthcare Insight to find out what our researchers are thumbing through and reacting to as they filter signals on where healthcare is heading. But first, don't forget to register for our upcoming Board Briefing , " Key industry players: What's happening with health tech." We'll take a close look at the health tech landscape—the only sector in the healthcare industry that seems to be thriving amid difficult macro conditions—

For those in healthcare, and revenue cycle especially, your newsfeeds undoubtedly provide a consistent stream of stories illustrating abundant payer-provider friction. Few would argue the most visible of these tensions has been around health system and clinician reimbursement for services, which has catalyzed a rapid investment into AI-tech on both sides, often described by one of many possible wartime analogies, although yet to have reached the point that either party appea

All the major for‑profit health systems have hosted their fourth set of earnings calls for 2025, sharing both their Q4 2025 performance and their 2026 outlook. These players function as a near‑real‑time “dashboard” for demand, pricing power, cost pressures, and strategic bets across the delivery system—offering helpful intel on the direction of the healthcare industry as a whole (even if they occupy a somewhat unique position within the provider world, as we'll discuss more t

The Union Healthcare Insight research team recently got together in Chicago with an experienced group of health system leaders, technologists, and consultants to dig into some of our latest research: “Six insights for revenue cycle leaders in 2026” . It was an open and generative day of discussion where attendees had the chance to sit with some hard questions facing the industry, knock around some practical ideas for moving the needle on their most stubborn challenges, and en