As the 2026 midterm elections approach, healthcare leaders are asking whether this is just another policy cycle or a more pivotal moment in an increasingly complex and fragmented landscape. In this episode of PwC’s Next in Health, Glenn Hunzinger speaks with Kelly Griffin and Philip Sclafani about how shifting policy dynamics, persistent cost pressures, and rapid industry transformation are reshaping strategy across the healthcare ecosystem.

Discussion highlights:

• Why the 2026 midterms are less about sweeping reform and more about signaling the direction of the operating environment
• How affordability, transparency, and increased state-level action are shaping policy and driving industry change
• Why healthcare costs continue to rise and why traditional levers may not be enough to bend the cost curve
• How pharma, payers, and providers are adapting business models amid regulatory pressure and evolving market dynamics
• The growing role of AI, partnerships, and ecosystem convergence in accelerating transformation
• What healthcare leaders should prioritize, from policy intelligence and scenario planning to operating effectively in a more fragmented environment

Speakers:
Glenn Hunzinger, US Health Industries Leader, PwC
Kelly Griffin, Director, Health Policy and Intelligence Institute, PwC
Philip Sclafani, Principal, Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences, PwC

For more information, please visit us at: https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industries/health-industries/health-research-institute/next-in-health-podcast.html.