Many health care leaders are leaning into agentic AI as adoption hurdles ease

A new Deloitte survey reveals that health care technology executives are increasingly pivoting toward agentic AI as traditional adoption barriers like talent shortages and data quality concerns begin to diminish. This shift is particularly significant for the health insurance technology sector, as 85% of leaders plan to increase investments in these autonomous systems over the next two to three years. By moving beyond simple generative AI to agents that can sequence tasks and adapt to conditions, organizations aim to achieve substantial cost savings and operational efficiencies across administrative and financial domains.

According to a September 2025 survey by the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions, which included 50 health plan and 50 health system technology executives, the industry is moving from AI experimentation to enterprise-level scaling. Agentic AI differs from traditional and generative AI by its ability to plan, sequence tasks, and coordinate across various platforms to deliver outcomes in clinical, administrative, and financial sectors. This transition is supported by a notable reduction in long-standing implementation hurdles; for instance, 40% of surveyed leaders no longer view technical talent limitations as a major challenge, while concerns regarding leadership buy-in and data quality have also decreased to 35% and 32%, respectively.

The financial commitment to these technologies is substantial, with 61% of respondents already implementing agentic AI initiatives or securing dedicated budgets. The survey indicates a strong expectation for return on investment, as 98% of executives anticipate at least a 10% reduction in costs within the next three years, and 37% expect savings to exceed 20%. Deloitte specialists, including health care sector leader Jerry Bruno and technology strategy principal Jeanette Yung, emphasize that these agents are being designed with explicit guardrails and human oversight to manage clinical and compliance risks while reshaping core workflows.

For the health insurance technology market, the implications involve a strategic shift toward autonomous action in revenue cycle management and consumer engagement. Over 80% of health systems are already prioritizing agentic AI for clinical operations, and similar momentum is expected in the health plan segment to stabilize workforce capacity and improve access. As the 2026 US Health Care Outlook suggests that over 80% of executives expect significant value from these innovations, the focus for technology leaders is transitioning from pilot programs to the responsible scaling of AI to unlock measurable improvements in back-office and payment workflows.