Press Release: Digital Member Engagement Surges as Health Plans Prioritize ROI and AI for 2026

Engagys’ tenth Annual State of Engagement Survey reveals digital channels up 50%, ROI replacing legacy success metrics, and AI pilots scaling 

BURLINGTON, MA – November 12, 2025 – Engagys, the leading healthcare consumer engagement consulting and advisory services firm, today released findings from its Tenth Annual State of Engagement Survey, revealing how health plans are adapting to a year defined by constrained budgets, shifting regulatory priorities, and growing digital maturity. 

For the first time in a decade, most health plan leaders report that their engagement budgets have stopped growing. The industry has entered a new operational reality, with increased medical costs and fiscal pressures catalyzing a more digitally mature, ROI-driven approach to engagement 

“Health plans are aligning engagement investments to measurable outcomes, proving what works, and scaling with precision,” said Joel Radford, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Engagys. “This year’s survey results show that the bar has moved from digital adoption to digital maturity. The next frontier is orchestration, automation, and intelligence at scale.” 

Digital-first engagement takes hold 

Plans are rapidly scaling digital outreach, with member portals, email, and SMS usage each reporting double-digit growth in both adoption and effectiveness, including up to 50% year-over-year growth in portal engagement. Meanwhile, traditional call center and direct mail outreach continue to decline, signaling that digital fluency is becoming a core competency for engagement teams. 

As digital channels mature, cost per engagement is dropping while response rates rise, signaling that members are increasingly comfortable interacting through self-service, automated, and personalized experiences. 

ROI replaces traditional metrics 

Financial accountability has become the defining theme of 2025. Health plans now measure engagement success by ROI, response rate, and cost efficiency rather than traditional quality or clinical outcomes. Even programs addressing social determinants of health (SDoH) are increasingly evaluated through a financial lens. Health equity efforts, once in expansion, have stabilized as organizations focus less on measurement and more on integration across member touchpoints. 

AI moves from concept to implementation 

Artificial intelligence has become the year’s most commonly cited strategic priority. Most organizations remain in planning or pilot stages, focusing on predictive targeting and content generation, but momentum is undeniable. Compliance and governance challenges continue to slow adoption, yet nearly every health plan surveyed lists AI strategy development as a 2026 goal. 

Top priorities for 2026 

Health plans identified three strategic engagement imperatives for the year ahead: 

• Advance AI from pilot to scale, backed by strong data governance.
• Deepen digital infrastructure and automation to improve efficiency and cost savings.
• Prioritize measurable value, focusing on engagement programs that reduce cost while improving member outcomes. 

“Health plans are approaching engagement with a new level of rigor,” said Kathleen Ellmore, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Engagys. “The leaders of tomorrow won’t be defined by budget size, but by precision, accountability, and strategic alignment to outcomes that matter — for members and for the business.” 

About the Survey 

The 2025 Engagys State of Engagement Survey was conducted in October 2025 and included responses from professionals across regional and national health plans. Participants represented executives, vice presidents, and directors leading member engagement, experience, and digital transformation initiatives. 

Access the full survey report here

About Engagys 

Engagys is the leading healthcare consumer engagement consulting and advisory services firm. With decades of combined experience across payer and provider organizations, Engagys has deployed hundreds of marketing and engagement initiatives that drive measurable behavior change—improving satisfaction, lowering medical costs, increasing revenue, and enhancing health outcomes. 

Media Contact 

Lindsay Goldfarb, Marketing Leader | LGoldfarb@engagys.com