Each new year brings fresh promises of healthcare reform: new technologies, policy proposals, pricing models and delivery innovations. Yet for patients, clinicians and health system leaders alike, progress often feels uneven and unpredictable.
As 2026 begins, this month’s poll asks readers to step back and consider the healthcare system as a whole. Are expectations for American medicine improving, worsening or largely unchanged compared to last year? And if meaningful change does occur, where is it most likely to show up?
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Dr. Robert Pearl is the former CEO of The Permanente Medical Group, the nation’s largest physician group. He’s a Forbes contributor, bestselling author, Stanford University professor, and host of two healthcare podcasts. Check out Pearl’s newest book, ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine with all profits going to Doctors Without Borders
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