Healthcare AI Adoption is Outpacing Governance and Cybersecurity Preparedness: Cotiviti and MedCity News Index

2026 Healthcare AI Readiness Index finds that healthcare organizations are adopting AI faster than they’re building the governance and cybersecurity frameworks needed to use it safely

• 70% of surveyed healthcare organizations have begun using AI, but fewer than 40% have detailed policies governing employee use
• Just 42% of payers and 32% of providers feel “very prepared” to respond to AI-assisted cyberattacks
• 90% expect investment in AI and cybersecurity to increase over the next year

New York, NY (Sept. 8, 2026) – Cotiviti, The Healthcare Infrastructure Company™, and MedCity News, the leading online news source for the business of innovation in healthcare, are pleased to announce the results of their 2026 Healthcare AI Readiness Index, which found that healthcare organizations are adopting AI faster than they’re building the governance and cybersecurity frameworks needed to use it safely.

Conducted in summer 2026, the Index tapped into the perspectives of payer and provider organizations to assess AI adoption, governance and cybersecurity preparedness and better understand how healthcare leaders are balancing AI’s potential with the operational, regulatory and security challenges accompanying its deployment.

The Index found that more than 70% of respondents have begun using AI tools, with nearly 40% of health insurers describing AI as a core aspect of their business. Providers are earlier in the process, with more than 70% still in the early stages of adoption.

At the same time, the findings reveal a significant readiness gap. Just 42% of payers and 32% of providers say they are “very prepared” to respond to AI-assisted cyberattacks. Sixty percent of payers and 64% of providers report employees are using unauthorized or non-integrated “shadow AI” tools, while fewer than 40% have detailed policies governing employee use of AI.

“AI is quickly becoming part of the infrastructure of healthcare, but the security and governance around it have to advance just as quickly,” said Ric Sinclair, CEO of Cotiviti. “And that responsibility increasingly extends beyond an organization’s own four walls. As health plans and healthcare organizations rely on AI across more critical workflows, they need confidence that the technology and partners throughout their ecosystems meet the same high standards for security, governance and responsible use. Trust will be foundational to realizing AI’s full potential in healthcare.”

“From a security standpoint, we treat every AI tool and workflow with the same rigor we apply to any other critical system,” said Sean Warren, Chief Information Officer of Cotiviti. “That means vetting AI vendors and models, monitoring for emerging threats and establishing clear policies for how AI can be used across the organization. As adoption accelerates, that discipline is what allows organizations to adopt AI with confidence and scale its use responsibly.”

The findings come as healthcare organizations prepare to increase spending significantly. Ninety percent of respondents expect their investment in AI and cybersecurity to grow over the next year, even as regulatory requirements and data security concerns remain leading barriers to adoption.

Despite those concerns, respondents are already reporting meaningful benefits from AI, including faster claims processing, reduced administrative burden, improved workflow efficiency, better member and patient experiences, and faster access to insights from healthcare data.

“The findings reveal a significant gap between AI adoption and AI governance,” said Ken Montgomery, publisher of MedCity News. “Healthcare organizations clearly recognize AI’s potential and are investing accordingly, but many are still building the governance and security frameworks needed to deploy it responsibly. As AI becomes more deeply integrated across healthcare, closing that gap will be increasingly important.”

Taken together, the Index suggests healthcare’s next phase of AI adoption will be defined not by which organizations deploy AI, but by how effectively they govern, secure and operationalize it.

Read the full Index for additional findings and analysis.

About MedCity News

MedCity News is the leading online news source for the business of innovation in healthcare. MedCity delivers insight into what’s next and what matters, with a mix of breaking news and analysis on startups and established industry leaders, personalities, policies and the most important deals.

Healthcare leaders must stay on top of new technologies, new companies, future trends and the latest policies, with a perspective that includes the entire healthcare ecosystem: health IT and digital health, diagnostics and medical devices, biopharma and emerging tech be it from the Silicon Valley entrants like Apple or Google or e-commerce giants like Amazon or retailers like CVS Health. MedCity News is equally interested in payers and payment reform and the transformation of the industry toward rewarding value.

MedCity News also convenes and hosts conferences around the country homing in on topics that are timely, relevant and exciting. From daily news updates to annual events, MedCity gives readers the chance to speak to and learn from everyone who has a stake in improving healthcare. For more information, visit medcitynews.com.

About Cotiviti

Cotiviti’s infrastructure platform enables healthcare organizations to deliver better care at lower cost through advanced technology and data analytics that improve the quality and sustainability of healthcare in the United States. Cotiviti’s solutions increase transparency and collaboration between payers and providers while empowering them to reduce medical and administrative costs, enable better health, improve claims payment efficiency, streamline operations, drive interoperability and advance value-based care. Its customers serve the majority of U.S. healthcare consumers, providing coverage and care for over 300 million members and patients. For more information, visit www.cotiviti.com.

SOURCE: Cotiviti

Tags: Artificial Intelligence (AI), compliance, cyber risk, cyber security, data management, health care, survey, United States (USA)