Payers had a wild year, and 2026 is shaping up to be just as dramatic, particularly for those offering government plans within Medicare, Medicaid, and the health insurance marketplace.

Marketplace insurers hiked up 2026 premiums an average of 26%, per KFF, and are expecting a huge drop in enrollees. Meanwhile, already-high medical costs could rise further, and AI is majorly changing patient, provider, and payer relationships.

Healthcare Brew asked executives at leading insurance companies and other industry experts about what they’re expecting in 2026.

Michael Carson, CEO, Centene WellCare Health Plans

One trend we’re not just watching but actively engaging in is the growth of the dual-eligible population. This group—which includes people with multiple chronic conditions and physical, mental, developmental, and cognitive disabilities—is expected to grow by more than 6% every year through 2028. While they make up only about 20% of Medicare members, they account for over one-third of Medicare spending, which underscores the financial and systemic impact.

This is what execs had to say.—CC

CES 2026 ends today, and we’re already feeling nostalgic.

We spent the week learning about the latest health tech trends from industry leaders. Here are some of the Las Vegas conference’s biggest highlights:

• On Tuesday, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary announced the agency will ease restrictions on AI-enabled devices and wearables, including allowing more software to skip review. The FDA’s choice to debut the news at CES is a pivot from the federal government’s decision to largely skip major 2025 conferences like HLTH and HIMSS.
• Serena Williams, 23-time tennis Grand Slam champion, took the stage on Tuesday afternoon to help promote medical device maker Abbott’s over-the-counter continuous glucose monitoring system, Lingo.
• Speaking of continuous glucose monitoring, a Wednesday morning panel marked the first public appearance of diabetes tech company Dexcom’s Jake Leach in his new role as president and CEO, which became effective Jan. 1.
• Leaders from Samsung Electronics, Uber Health, and Google spoke on a Wednesday panel about Big Tech’s growing presence in healthcare. Shocking news: They think it’s a good thing.
• French tech company Withings debuted the Body Scan 2. Though not yet for sale, attendees got to test the smart scale device on the exhibit floor. Its goal: measure 60+ biomarkers in 90 seconds. Its cost: $600. Sure, that’s expensive, but think of it as $10 a biomarker!
• There was also a variety of other unique health tech devices, like the Vivoo FlowPad, a “smart” menstrual pad designed with hormone testing capabilities.
• And let’s not forget Thursday, when Healthcare Brew moved from the audience to the stage, taking part in a media panel on the future of digital health innovation! We discussed the rising consumer demand for hyper-specific health data and the increased attention and investment in women’s health tech.

Stay tuned for more CES coverage in the coming weeks!—CC

In June 2022, the Supreme Court ruled in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization to remove the constitutional right to abortion, sending the power back to the states.

Some states, like Massachusetts, passed executive orders to protect patients, including those traveling from out of state. Others, like Kentucky, had trigger bans that immediately restricted abortion access (Kentucky’s is a near-total ban for any stage of pregnancy, except in cases of medical emergencies).

The number of abortions overall has increased in the US, at 1.14 million in 2024 compared to 1.06 in 2023, according to #WeCount, the Society of Family Planning’s national abortion data-tracking effort that started during the fall of Roe.

In November 2024, 10 states asked citizens to vote on whether they wanted abortion protected in local law. Seven of them passed and three did not. But experts told Healthcare Brew the fight for reproductive rights continues whatever the outcome. There are still efforts to add federal restrictions to abortion, though those policy efforts have failed thus far.

Where do things go from here?—CM

The feeling of getting a 5/5 on the Brew’s weekly news quiz has been compared to getting a company-wide shoutout from your boss. It’s that satisfying.