Samwise Healthcare IT Newsletter
Monday, June 22, 2026
Senate Unveils Healthcare Provisions in One Big Beautiful Bill, CBO Warns of 11.8 Million Losing Coverage
Senate Republicans unveiled their version of the One Big Beautiful Bill, a sweeping reconciliation package with major implications for American healthcare. The revised legislation includes significant reforms to Medicare, Medicaid, and healthcare-related tax provisions, including changes to provider taxes. The Congressional Budget Office estimated the bill would leave 11.8 million additional Americans uninsured. Federal Medicaid spending would be cut substantially, with states facing dramatically reduced funding for their programs. Pharmacy benefit manager regulations are also addressed in the Senate text. Healthcare industry groups and hospital associations are closely tracking the bill as Senate leaders work to secure votes from Republican holdouts concerned about the scope of safety-net reductions.
Sources: Modern Healthcare
Sen. Hawley Introduces Bill to Wipe Hospital Medicaid Funding Cuts and Boost Rural Health Fund
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) has introduced legislation to eliminate the hospital-specific Medicaid funding reductions included in the Senate version of the One Big Beautiful Bill, while simultaneously boosting funding for a rural health fund. Hawley’s bill reflects simmering tensions within the Republican Senate caucus over the reconciliation package’s healthcare provisions. Rural hospitals have specifically warned that steep Medicaid cuts threaten their financial viability and could force closures in underserved communities. The senator’s legislation represents an attempt to give colleagues a political path forward by carving out hospital funding protections. Whether the standalone bill influences final reconciliation language remains to be determined.
Sources: Fierce Healthcare
GAO: DOD and VA Must Improve EHR Cybersecurity Coordination to Protect Military and Veteran Health Data
The Government Accountability Office has found that the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs need to substantially improve their coordination on electronic health record cybersecurity. The two agencies, which share interconnected health data systems serving millions of active-duty service members and veterans, face compounding cyber risks from inadequate coordination. The GAO finding emerges during an already troubled EHR modernization period at both agencies. Robust cybersecurity coordination is critical to protecting sensitive health data for Americans who served in the military. The GAO has outlined specific recommended steps for both departments to strengthen their joint cybersecurity posture and reduce risks across shared systems.
Sources: Healthcare IT News
Epic Accelerates AI Rollout and Data Ecosystem Influence in 2026, With 85% of Customers Now Using AI Tools
Epic Systems is making 2026 a pivotal year for embedding artificial intelligence across its platform and extending its influence over the broader healthcare data ecosystem. More than 85 percent of Epic’s customers now use its AI products, including tools that draft discharge summaries, document patient encounters, and support revenue cycle management workflows. Beyond product launches, Epic has engaged with federal AI policy discussions and taken legal action tied to national interoperability networks. The EHR giant’s moves signal both a drive to deepen its clinical reach and an intent to shape the regulatory and technical standards governing how health data flows across the U.S. healthcare system.
Sources: Becker’s Hospital Review
As AI Scales Across Health Systems, Interoperability Is Becoming Core Operating Infrastructure
Healthcare IT leaders increasingly regard interoperability not as a compliance exercise but as foundational infrastructure for artificial intelligence deployment. With the HTI-1 rule raising the certification baseline to USCDI version 3 as of January 1, 2026, and CMS pushing payer API requirements to January 2027, organizations now navigate a rapidly evolving standards landscape. A proposed HTI-5 rule includes FHIR-based interoperability measures, strengthened information blocking enforcement, and streamlined certification pathways for AI models. The emerging consensus among health IT executives is that AI’s clinical value depends directly on data quality and accessibility, making interoperability investment inseparable from AI strategy.
Sources: Healthcare IT News
10 AI Vendors Gaining the Most Traction with Health Systems in 2026
A Becker’s Hospital Review analysis identifies ten artificial intelligence vendors gaining significant traction with U.S. health systems in 2026, spanning clinical decision support, ambient documentation, predictive analytics, and revenue cycle automation. Health system adoption is being driven by demonstrated return on investment and tight integration with existing clinical workflows. Leaders continue to evaluate AI tools with a sharp focus on regulatory compliance, information security, and compatibility with incumbent EHR platforms. The AI vendor market remains highly competitive as health systems seek tools that deliver measurable improvements in operational efficiency and patient care quality. The list reflects the broad range of problems health IT leaders are turning to AI to solve.
Sources: Becker’s Hospital Review
Cybersecurity and AI Governance Top the List of IT Risks Facing Health Systems in 2026
Hospital and health system chief medical information officers have identified cybersecurity and AI governance as the most pressing technology risks facing their organizations in 2026. CMIOs point to ransomware, breaches of protected health information, and system outages as persistent and worsening threats, warning that the attack surface is expanding as organizations grow more interconnected. Vendor vulnerabilities and identity management gaps are viewed as especially difficult to control. Alongside cyber risk, AI governance—ensuring safe and ethical use across clinical and administrative workflows—is emerging as a parallel priority that requires new policy frameworks. The convergence of these two concerns is reshaping enterprise risk management across the sector.
Sources: Becker’s Hospital Review
Where Health IT Leaders Are Investing in Interoperability in 2026 and What Is Driving Their Priorities
Healthcare IT leaders are mapping the next phase of interoperability investment as regulatory timelines and AI adoption converge. Executives are prioritizing FHIR API implementation, data governance, and patient data access as near-term objectives. The CMS prior authorization rule, with payer API requirements taking effect in January 2027, is shaping immediate planning cycles. The proposed HTI-5 rule’s interoperability provisions are influencing longer-term strategy. Leaders emphasize that health data quality and accessibility are prerequisites for meaningful AI performance in clinical settings. Investment decisions are increasingly made with specific AI deployment use cases in mind, as interoperability infrastructure becomes inseparable from the ability to benefit from advanced clinical AI tools.
Sources: Healthcare IT News
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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