BY J.D. Brewer, Principal, Advisory, C&O Health and Government, and Saurabh Goyal, Principal, Advisory, Health and Government, KPMG LLC AI as the new architecture of payer value Healthcare payers are operating in one of the most difficult financial environments the industry has faced in years. Medical costs continue to climb, regulatory constraints are intensifying, and administrative margins remain under constant pressure. To keep pace, most organizations have followed a familiar playbook: digitizing processes, automating transactions,...

By Jerod Holloway, Weaver Health Care Advisory Services For many health care organizations, risk is no longer something to manage on the margins. It is a driver of success, shaping financial performance, operational stability and strategic direction in real time. Sustained margin pressure, expanding regulatory demands and accelerating digital transformation are introducing new dependencies across the enterprise. At the same time, traditional risk categories are converging. Cyber incidents disrupt revenue cycles and patient care. Workforce...

BY Jerry Bruno, Principal, Bill Fera, Principal, Jeanette Yung, Principal, Michael McCallen, Managing Director, Dr. Jay Bhatt, Managing Director, Maulesh Shukla, Executive Manager, Health Care Sector, Deloitte   Health care leaders are under continued pressure to reduce operational costs, stabilize a strained workforce, and improve access and experience. While artificial intelligence has the potential to be transformative, many organizations report incremental gains, often slowed by organizational and implementation hurdles rather than a lack of use...

BY Corey Palasota, CFA, Weaver Partner, Health Care Valuation Services   Targeted affiliations, ambulatory buildouts and real‑asset transactions, not blockbuster hospital mergers, are reshaping Houston’s health care provider landscape. After a slow first half of 2025 driven by policy uncertainty, tariff‑linked cost pressure, and questions around Medicaid and exchange coverage, deal activity improved in the second half of the year. The pattern was clear: fewer full consolidations and more purpose‑built partnerships designed to expand post-acute...

BY Amy Gonzalez, Managing Director, Strategy & Execution, & Dr. Matthew Weiss, Managing Director, EY-Parthenon, Ernst & Young LLP An improved hospital capacity management strategy can unlock value and boost financial performance.   Many health system leaders remain financially cautious amid cost pressures and regulatory uncertainty. Hospital capacity management can establish an operational backbone, make health care networks more efficient, and improve cash flow and operating margins. It can also help systems differentiate themselves in...

BY Tashiana Briggs, Partner – Tax, Healthcare and Professional Services, Adam Portacci, Director – Financial Advisory Health Care Valuation Services, and Josh Finrock, Director – Transfer Pricing, Weaver It appears the Grinch has stolen some of the jolly from the practice of medicine, with physicians facing a brutal reality: ever increasing clinical volume paired with declining margins. As a result, many practices are looking for ways to reduce cash outlays or show healthy income when...

BY Tina Wheeler, Partner, US Health Care, Bill Laughlin, Principal, Life Sciences and Healthcare, Omosede Ogiamien, Partner, Risk and Financial Advisory, Heather Hagan, Principal, Healthcare, Maulesh Shukla, India Lead, Healthcare, & Madhushree Wagh, Senior Research Analyst, Deloitte A recent Deloitte Center for Health Solutions survey of health care finance leaders revealed that 84% are concerned about business conditions stemming from potential regulatory and policy changes, macroeconomic uncertainty, and disruptions related to tariffs and supply chains....

BY Katharine Johnston, Director, Audit – Public Sector & Katey Kelly, Manager, Audit – Public Sector, Weaver   In the evolving health care landscape, patient financing solutions continue to play a crucial role in enhancing access to essential medical services. Modern patient financing approaches have transformed the health care industry through technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. From addressing financial barriers to improving patient experience, these developments are changing both the industry...

BY Nick Hut, Senior Reporter, HFMA   Hospital advocates are pushing back on a fast-approaching rebate model for the 340B Drug Pricing Program, while a new Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report illustrates the accelerating spending in the program.   The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), which administers 340B, previously announced that a pilot program to test the application of a rebate model would begin Jan. 1, 2026. Comments on the model, which initially is set to...

BY Trip Hillman, Partner, Cybersecurity Consulting Services, and Shelby Mathers, Director, Cybersecurity Consulting Services, Weaver   The health care industry is no stranger to cyberattacks. From ransomware shutting down emergency rooms to data breaches exposing millions of patient records, health care organizations have long been prime targets for cybercriminals. As the threat landscape evolves, so too must health care industry leaders think about cybersecurity, not just as a technical issue but also as a strategic...