Outreach Template Email
Health Services/Tech Email
Subject: 2026 State of Play Survey: Navigating the Riptide
<Name>,
We just released the findings from the 2026 edition of our annual State of Play healthcare survey (an executive summary is attached). For six years now, we’ve tracked what the public thinks about big issues facing our industry, ranging from ongoing questions of trust to more immediate questions around policy.
What we see this year is a powerful riptide fueled by deep worry about cost and affordability – as well as skepticism about provider organizations’ motives. That said, the numbers show a clear path to swim out of the current (yes, we’re really going with the metaphor) and get back to the solid ground of trust and mission-driven alignment.
Key findings include:
- Six in 10 say healthcare is heading in the wrong direction, and not surprisingly, about three-quarters point to cost as today’s biggest healthcare issue.
- Almost nine in 10 say hospitals, clinics and nursing homes should be involved in speaking publicly about healthcare policy changes…But only about a third say they actually hear directly from these organizations.
- Very few pin the blame for rising costs on provider organizations, even as perception of healthcare organizations’ motivations has shifted again (and not in a good direction).
- And even though vast majorities think healthcare organizations put profits over patients, well over half say that quality and community impact outweighs concern about profits.
Elsewhere, on the tech side, the jury is still out on whether AI will have positive or negative effects on healthcare in a clinical setting.
There’s an opportunity for health services organizations in particular to build a powerful message about how they’re working to take cost out of the system and help patients navigate care more efficiently and affordably.
We’re having conversations with many of our friends and clients to review the results and think through how to take action. Those conversations include access to the full report beyond just the executive summary, and we’d love to do the same with you. Let me know if you’re interested in scheduling a call to go through the results.
Best,
<Name>
————-
Health Systems Email
Subject: 2026 State of Play Survey: Navigating the Riptide
<Name>,
We just released the findings from the 2026 edition of our annual State of Play healthcare survey (an executive summary is attached). For six years now, we’ve tracked what the public thinks about big issues facing our industry, ranging from ongoing questions of trust to more immediate questions around policy.
What we see this year is a powerful riptide fueled by deep worry about cost and affordability – as well as skepticism about provider organizations’ motives. That said, the numbers show a clear path to swim out of the current (yes, we’re all in on the metaphor) and get back to the solid ground of trust and mission-driven alignment.
Key findings include:
- Six in 10 say healthcare is heading in the wrong direction, and not surprisingly, about three-quarters point to cost as today’s biggest healthcare issue.
- Almost nine in 10 say provider organizations should be involved in speaking publicly about healthcare policy changes…But only about a third say they actually hear directly from them.
- Very few pin the blame for rising costs on provider organizations, even as perception of hospitals’ motivations has shifted again (and not in a good direction).
- And even though vast majorities think healthcare organizations put profits over patients, well over half say that quality and community impact outweighs concern about profits.
Elsewhere:
- A bit over half expect negative effects to come from the recent changes to ACA and Medicaid funding, and slightly more recognize that loss of insurance for some drives up cost for all.
- We also dig deeper into ACA and Medicaid policy, look into 340B and update our numbers on whether people think AI will be a good or bad thing for healthcare.
We’re having conversations with many of our friends and clients to review the results and think through how to take action. Those conversations include access to the full report beyond just the executive summary, and we’d love to do the same with you. Let me know if you’re interested in scheduling a call to go through the results.
Best,
<Name>
————-
CP Email
Subject: 2026 State of Play Survey: Navigating the Riptide
<Name>,
We just released the findings from the 2026 edition of our annual State of Play healthcare survey. For six years now, we’ve tracked what the public thinks about big issues facing our industry, ranging from ongoing questions of trust to more immediate questions around policy.
What we see this year is a powerful riptide fueled by deep worry about cost and affordability – as well as skepticism about provider organizations’ motives. That said, the numbers show a clear path to swim out of the current (yes, we’re all in on the metaphor) and get back to the solid ground of trust and mission-driven alignment.
Key findings include:
- Six in 10 say healthcare is heading in the wrong direction, and not surprisingly, about three-quarters point to cost as today’s biggest healthcare issue.
- Almost nine in 10 say provider organizations should be involved in speaking publicly about healthcare policy changes…But only about a third say they actually hear directly from them.
- Very few pin the blame for rising costs on provider organizations, even as perception of hospitals’ motivations has shifted again (and not in a good direction).
- And even though vast majorities think healthcare organizations put profits over patients, well over half say that quality and community impact outweighs concern about profits.
Elsewhere:
- A bit over half expect negative effects to come from the recent changes to ACA and Medicaid funding, and slightly more recognize that loss of insurance for some drives up cost for all.
- We also dig deeper into ACA and Medicaid policy, look into 340B and update our numbers on whether people think AI will be a good or bad thing for healthcare.
With cost and affordability top of mind, plus the recent policy changes, we expect healthcare to be at the forefront of the midterms. There’s so much to help our clients navigate in this environment – for us, helping them proactively address tough issues such as crisis prep and response, M&A and payer negotiations. Plus, the ongoing need to build an effective local message about their community impact.
Please review the attached executive summary and let me know if you’d like to walk through the results and discuss how it could apply to your clients.
Best,
<Name>
