Healthcare Organizations Are Planning Through the Fog

What HealthTech Marketers Need to Know

This post analyzes key findings from new “must-read” KLAS research examining how 169 healthcare delivery organizations are responding to federal policy uncertainty in 2025. The healthcare industry is navigating unprecedented uncertainty as federal policy changes create ripple effects throughout provider organizations.

Based on surveys with C-suite executives at health systems, hospitals, and physician practices, the research reveals that while 90% of organizations lack clarity to act decisively, they’re actively implementing contingency plans and redirecting—not cutting—IT budgets.

For healthtech marketers, this means shifting messaging from “growth and innovation” to “resilience and risk reduction,” positioning solutions as strategic de-risking tools, and aligning offerings with priority investments in AI/automation and cybersecurity.

TL;DR

• Healthcare organizations are making strategic decisions despite uncertainty around federal policy changes.
• 90% lack the clarity they need to act decisively
• 86% have multiple contingency plans in place. The top response? Workforce restructuring and budget redirection—not cuts.
• The good news is that 75% aren’t freezing IT budgets; they’re redirecting them toward AI/automation (39% priority) and cybersecurity (31% priority).
• For healthtech marketers, this means shifting from “growth and innovation” messaging to “resilience and risk reduction.”
• Organizations want strategic partners who understand their constraints, not just vendors selling technology.

Challenge 1: Organizations Are “Planning Through the Fog”

The Reality: Nearly 70% of healthcare organizations are “planning through the fog”—taking steps despite lacking clarity on risks. This finding aligns with a 2025 Deloitte survey of 80 health system executives that found 44% cite regulatory uncertainty as a major factor influencing their planning for the year.

They’re implementing multiple contingency plans, with 86% having backup strategies in place. The top response? Workforce restructuring, including everything from proactive layoffs to hiring freezes. As industry experts note, “It’s been said that a health system’s financing can change with the stroke of a legislator’s pen… This is true now more than ever,” highlighting the difficulty organizations face in strategic planning due to shifting policies. Adding to the pressure, healthcare delivery organizations continue to struggle financially, with many yet to return to pre-pandemic margins.

“Without that clarity of direction, they are doing their best to scenario plan, do a lot of financial modeling,” explains Dan Czech, VP of Customer Insights at KLAS. “I talked to one organization that scale of financial modeling that they were going through was from a couple percent of their budget to, I think it was $500 million, something that would’ve just been catastrophic to their bottom line.”

Marketing Action:

• Position your solution as a risk mitigation tool.
• Focus your messaging on de-risking initiatives rather than aggressive growth.
• Develop educational content that helps prospects navigate uncertainty, positioning your company as a trusted advisor rather than just another vendor.
• Create ROI calculators and business cases that clearly demonstrate how your solution reduces operational risk.

Challenge 2: IT Budgets Aren’t Frozen—They’re Being Redirected

The Reality: Contrary to expectations, 75% of organizations aren’t cutting IT spend. Instead, they’re redirecting budgets toward solutions with fast, measurable ROI. AI/automation leads investment priorities globally, followed closely by cybersecurity.

Supporting this trend, 55% of healthcare cybersecurity professionals anticipate increased budgets in 2025, while only 4% expect a decrease, reflecting the sector’s urgent need to modernize and defend IT systems.

“So these fears of the changes with reimbursements aren’t necessarily freezing budgets. They’re just redirecting those budgets,” notes Czech. “75% of organizations are either maintaining the IT spend or even, 40% of those are increasing their IT spend.”

Marketing Action:

• Align your solution with these priority areas.
• If you’re not directly in AI or cybersecurity, find ways to connect your offering to these larger budget initiatives. For example, package your solution as part of a broader AI or security implementation.
• Update your messaging to emphasize quick ROI and measurable outcomes.
• Consider offering managed services to reduce the burden on stretched IT teams.

Challenge 3: AI Optimism Amid Staffing Cuts

The Reality: While most proposed government policies are viewed negatively, AI represents the one “bright spot.” Organizations see potential for reduced regulatory burden around AI adoption, and they’re betting on AI to ease administrative loads as they reduce headcount.

Source: Navigating the Uncertainty of Federal Policy 2025, KLAS Research, July 2025

In 2025, healthcare leaders widely expect AI to address three main challenges: workflow efficiency, workforce development, and patient safety—with deployment accelerating to relieve staffing pressure.

The urgency is clear: the World Health Organization predicts a 11 million clinician shortfall by 2030, heightening the need for automation and advanced decision support. Early results are promising, with AI-enabled tools reported to boost productivity in nursing by 30–50%, and new AI systems saving physicians and nurses up to 17–51% of documentation time.

Czech emphasizes the strategic importance of this trend:

“There is hope that there won’t be as much AI regulation and red tape, but there will be enough direction from the government to help enable some more rapid adoption of AI. So it certainly wasn’t, AI is the magic silver bullet that’s going to solve all of our problems, but there’s optimism that the government might free up enough space for them to work in to have some real impacts.”

Marketing Action:

• If your solution includes AI capabilities, now is the time to lead with that messaging—but be strategic about it.
• Focus on concrete productivity gains rather than AI buzzwords.
• Demonstrate how your AI features specifically address workforce challenges and administrative efficiency.
• Test your AI messaging to ensure it resonates with outcomes rather than just technology.

Challenge 4: Value-Based Care Is Finally Getting Real

The Reality: Value-based care is evolving from a future aspiration to an active revenue strategy. Organizations are actively rethinking payer partnerships, evaluating the growth of Medicare Advantage, and adjusting how patients navigate value-based programs. This shift is being driven by the financial pressures organizations face and the need to create more predictable revenue streams.

Marketing Action:

• Map your solution to the entire patient journey and value-based care workflows.
• Develop use cases showing how your technology helps optimize patient alignment, reduce leakage, improve care coordination, and enhance performance in risk-based contracts.
• Create content that addresses referral management, population health, and contract performance optimization.

Challenge 5: Smaller Organizations Face Bigger Challenges

The Reality: Smaller provider organizations are reacting like large health systems but lack the resources to execute effectively. They’re focused on foundational technology infrastructure (88% priority) but struggle with talent shortfalls (41% cite this as their top barrier).

Marketing Action:

• If you target smaller organizations, emphasize simplicity and support.
• Offer comprehensive managed services and “white-glove” implementation approaches.
• Develop pricing models that cater to smaller budgets.
• Create educational resources that help smaller teams punch above their weight.
• Consider partnership strategies that reduce complexity for resource-constrained organizations.

Challenge 6: Academic Health Systems Face Unique Pressures

The Reality: Academic health systems are most likely to have multiple contingency plans and are heavily focused on workforce restructuring due to anticipated cuts in research funding. Nearly 75% report no positive impact from proposed government initiatives. These organizations face the dual challenge of maintaining their research mission while improving operational efficiency.

Marketing Action:

• For academic health systems, emphasize solutions that help maximize existing resources and optimize research operations.
• Develop case studies that demonstrate how your technology enables academic centers to maintain their research mission while enhancing operational efficiency.
• Focus on workforce productivity and compliance capabilities.

It’s time to Shift Your Marketing Mindset

The research reveals a fundamental shift in how healthcare organizations are making decisions. The traditional approach of selling “growth and innovation” needs to evolve toward “resilience and efficiency.” Organizations are looking for partners who understand their constraints and can help them navigate uncertainty. As McKinsey notes about healthcare in 2025 and beyond, the sector requires new approaches to strategic planning amid ongoing uncertainty.

Three key messaging pivots for healthtech marketers:

1. From “growth” to “optimization”: Show how your solution maximizes existing resources rather than requiring new investments.
2. From “efficiency” to “risk reduction”: Frame efficiency gains in terms of reduced operational risk and improved organizational resilience.
3. From “vendor” to “strategic partner”: Demonstrate deep understanding of healthcare challenges and offer consultation, not just technology.

Healthcare organizations may be planning through the fog, but smart healthtech marketers can be their guiding light—by truly understanding the challenges providers face and positioning their solutions as essential tools for navigating uncertainty. The data shows that while budgets remain available, organizations are increasingly focused on strategic investments that deliver measurable value in an uncertain environment.