By JEFF BRANDES
To say that healthcare security has just undergone tectonic shifts in 2025 would be an understatement. The rapid introduction of multiple, massive policy changes left many healthcare leaders reeling with more questions than answers.
As the industry turns the corner towards 2026 and the dust begins to settle, it is time for stakeholders to respond by leveraging all available resources and tools. Current industry changes will require structural and process changes that ensure the best health outcomes for all communities.
It is critical to any strategy to recognize that AI and automation have found their place in countering the administrative burden in healthcare, and widespread use of these tools will help accelerate the industry’s race toward greater value. Care teams that previously spent hours reviewing documentation, identifying risk adjustment opportunities, and organizing population-level insights can now regain the time needed to stay ahead of care gaps.
In 2026, healthcare leaders must recognize that new realities are here to stay and will require reimagining how the industry delivers optimal care to vulnerable populations. Safety net organizations that have not invested in automation to manage routine tasks will be left behind in the new world of population health management. By leaning on the following three strategies, stakeholders can realize the promise of values-based collaboration.
Keeping Medicaid Patients Connected to Care
Sweeping changes to Medicaid eligibility, funding, and administrative requirements will have far-reaching impacts on coverage. Current workflows addressing these challenges are complex and overwhelming for many resource-poor safety net providers, not to mention patients and their families.
On the Medicaid front, infrastructures that rely on unified data and integrated workflows can help providers be more proactive in identifying those at risk of losing coverage. Specifically, tools that combine eligibility data with insights into clinical and social risks can guide prioritization of outreach and patient care. Additionally, providers can use automation to create multilingual renewal campaigns that personalize patient interactions so vulnerable populations understand their healthcare options.
Safety net providers are already finding success with the right strategy. For example, the California Primary Care Association (CPCA) leveraged automation and analytics to mobilize outreach and support Medi-Cal renewals and new enrollments in 38 counties. Of January 2024 to June 2025The initiative reached more than 1.3 million people, achieving more than 159,000 Medi-Cal enrollments and re-enrollments.
Putting rural health transformation into action
Sometimes analysts They predict that the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program could allow America’s struggling rural health landscape to recover from the brink of near destruction, if done right. Now that awards have been made, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is focusing on us. Technological initiatives that can become sustainable. without continued state and federal funding.
The most promising technology initiatives share a common theme: patient-centered connection and collaboration. This means that security providers must connect with other stakeholders (behavioral health agencies, emergency medical services providers, and social service organizations) in a more cohesive way. When communities break down silos and align around initiatives that address local healthcare challenges, the results are remarkable.
Consider an effort Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, the largest federally qualified health center on the island of Oahu in Hawaii, to address key issues for local vulnerable populations. The organization leveraged technology to bring together disparate data across stakeholders and achieved significant improvements:
- Increased the percentage of patients with documented asthma action plans by 40%, allowing for more proactive care management.
- Increased depression screening rates from 25% in 2014 to almost 60% in 2023.
- Improvement of hypertension control rates from 45% in 2014 to 60% in 2022
Evolution of value-based care
Safety net providers, rural hospitals and health plans can expect 2026 to see growth in capitated arrangements and higher expectations for better outcomes. Success depends on stakeholder alignment, especially between payers and providers.
Investments in data integration capabilities that improve collaboration will be accelerated, especially around utilizing insights and achieving unified views of risks and care gaps. Additionally, member/patient engagement in chronic illness, behavioral health, maternal care, and Medicaid renewals will become a shared effort.
Setting the stage for a successful 2026
When it comes to the health safety net, there is an urgent need to finally get things right in 2026. In truth, the stakes have never been higher to turn the tide of a challenging landscape.
The good news is that advanced technology and automation are making it possible to achieve important goals for the most vulnerable in the industry. Rural communities are poised for a long-awaited transformation characterized by stakeholder alignment and collaboration. It won’t be easy in 2026; change never is. But, with the right data-driven, patient-centered strategy, the industry can finally deliver on the promise of value-based care.
Jeff Brandes is the president and CEO of Azara Health
