Hospitals, health systems, and other healthcare organizations continue to adapt to changing care delivery models and workforce dynamics, but face persistent financial pressures, according to the Q1 Strata Performance Trends report. Key findings include:
 

• Hospitals and health systems increasingly relied on telehealth and remote monitoring to expand patient access and clinician capacity despite persistent financial losses on virtual care services.

Strata’s 2026 Healthcare Financial Outlook Report features results from our annual survey of healthcare finance leaders nationwide, examining the risks, priorities, and opportunities shaping the year ahead.

Healthcare finance is entering a new era—one where AI and predictive analytics are transforming how organizations forecast, plan, and make strategic decisions. This whitepaper explores how leading healthcare organizations are moving beyond traditional, siloed forecasting approaches toward more integrated, data-driven models.

Shifting policies and attitudes toward transparency in healthcare pricing and reimbursement continue to impact the industry. Meanwhile, limited resources and technologies leave hospitals and health systems subject to data gaps, overload, and inconsistencies. 

Payors often come to contract negotiations with more data and deeper insights — putting hospitals and health systems at a disadvantage. In today's landscape, finance leaders need more precision, preparation, and credible data to level the playing field.

In today’s data-driven healthcare environment, the quality of financial data directly impacts an organization’s ability to operate efficiently, remain compliant, and sustain long-term performance. Yet, inaccuracies and inconsistencies continue to undermine billing, reimbursement, forecasting, and value-based care initiatives.