How big could virtual care be in 2026?

Analysts expect virtual care to stabilize in the mid‑teens as a share of outpatient visits, with significant revenue supported by chronic care, behavioral health, and at‑home diagnostics. A McKinsey analysis suggests the U.S. virtual care opportunity could support up to $250 billion in annual spending, indicating continued upside if payers maintain reimbursement.

Which vendors are positioned to lead Health Tech in 2026?

EHR and cloud platforms such as [Epic](https://www.epic.com), [Oracle Health](https://www.oracle.com/industries/healthcare/), [Microsoft](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/industry/health), and [Google Cloud](https://cloud.google.com/solutions/healthcare-life-sciences) are central to enterprise adoption. On the front door of care, virtual and retail players like [Teladoc Health](https://www.teladochealth.com), [Amwell](https://business.amwell.com), and [Amazon Clinic](https://clinic.amazon.com) are integrating services that tie telehealth to diagnostics and pharmacy.

What role will AI play in clinical workflows by 2026?

AI will move from pilots to embedded utilities across ambient documentation, triage, imaging, and prior authorization. With hundreds of FDA‑cleared AI/ML devices already in market, health systems will increasingly deploy EHR‑integrated copilots and device‑driven analytics to improve throughput and reduce administrative burden.

How will interoperability change by 2026?

As TEFCA QHINs mature and onboard more participants, cross‑network data exchange should become far more routine for providers, payers, and pharmacies. This will reduce duplicative testing, enable real‑time eligibility and prior authorization, and allow analytics vendors to standardize quality and risk reporting across populations.

What’s the investment and M&A outlook for Health Tech in 2026?

Following a reset in 2023–2024, capital remains selective, favoring platforms with proven unit economics, clear reimbursement, and scalable distribution. Expect deal activity around ambient documentation, prior‑auth automation, and at‑home diagnostics, with strategics like [CVS Health](https://www.cvshealth.com) and payer‑aligned platforms such as [Optum](https://www.optum.com) active in partnerships and tuck‑ins.

Health Tech Industry Forecast for 2026: AI, Interoperability, and Virtual Care Realign Growth

Health Tech enters 2026 with AI accelerating clinical productivity, TEFCA-powered data liquidity, and virtual care cementing double‑digit shares of outpatient visits. Expect platform consolidation around EHR and cloud giants, disciplined funding, and payer-aligned reimbursement reshaping adoption.

Published: November 19, 2025 By Dr. Emily Watson Category: Health Tech

Health Tech Industry Forecast for 2026: AI, Interoperability, and Virtual Care Realign Growth

2026 Outlook: Revenue Mix Shifts Toward Virtual, Data, and Automation

Health Tech in 2026 is poised to grow on three fronts: AI-driven software, interoperable data layers, and virtual care embedded in routine delivery. U.S. virtual care alone could account for as much as a quarter‑trillion dollars in addressable spending, according to a widely cited McKinsey analysis of the post‑pandemic care mix telehealth could support up to $250 billion of U.S. spending. That ceiling won’t be uniformly realized, but a 13–17% share of outpatient visits conducted virtually is increasingly durable as health systems tie video visits to remote diagnostics and at‑home testing.

Platform leaders are steering this shift. Virtual care specialists such as Teladoc Health and Amwell are bundling telehealth with remote monitoring and behavioral health, while consumer platforms like Amazon Clinic aim to compress the time from symptom to script. On the enterprise side, cloud offerings from Microsoft and Google Cloud are being embedded into electronic health record (EHR) workflows, giving providers scalable AI services, voice automation, and data governance in one stack.

AI in the Workflow: From Pilots to Productivity by 2026

AI in healthcare is moving from departmental pilots to system‑wide deployment. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has already cleared hundreds of AI/ML‑enabled devices—largely in imaging and cardiology—providing a regulatory foundation for scaled use FDA’s running list of AI/ML-enabled medical devices. By 2026, the center of gravity shifts toward ambient clinical documentation, triage, and decision support, with EHR-embedded copilots reducing administrative load and improving throughput.

EHR and cloud ecosystems are converging to make that real. Epic and Oracle Health are integrating voice, summarization, and prior‑auth automation with AI services from Microsoft and Google Cloud. On the device front, hospital and home‑based diagnostics from Philips and Siemens Healthineers...

Read the full article at AI BUSINESS 2.0 NEWS