Revenue cycle leaders are entering 2026 with a sharper understanding of how deeply cybersecurity risk shapes financial performance. The events in recent years, especially the widespread, prolonged interruptions caused by major cyberattacks, revealed how closely data security and revenue operations depend on one another. Protecting data has become central to protecting continuity, cash flow and long-term cost efficiency.
According to a late 2025 FinThrive survey of 100+ healthcare finance leaders, this shift is reflected in decision-making. Ninety-seven percent of organizations say data security is important when investing in RCM platforms, and 85% have changed their strategic RCM technology plans in direct response to recent cybersecurity and clearinghouse events.
RCM leaders are being asked to evaluate technology not only on workflow strength but also on the organization’s exposure to cyber risk.
Cyber Threats Have Intensified, and the Financial Stakes Have Escalated
Healthcare has always been an attractive target for cybercriminals, but the impact of modern attacks has reached a scale that impacts the entire financial ecosystem of a hospital. In a survey of nearly 1,000 hospitals following a major cyber incident:
- 74% reported direct impact on patient care
- 94% reported a negative financial impact
- One-third of affected hospitals lost more than half their revenue during the disruption
These events show how quickly a cyberattack can halt scheduling, eligibility checks, authorizations, coding and claims — the functions that keep payments moving. The average healthcare breach now costs nearly $11 million because the operational fallout is wide and immediate. Delayed claims, manual workarounds, prolonged downtime and regulatory exposure all drive spending higher.
The Security Landscape Has Shifted — and Costs Are Rising
A combination of federal changes, such as the One Big Beautifull Bill Act (OBBBA), and resource constraints across the industry has reshaped healthcare’s security posture. With the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) shifting to a paid model and staffing cuts at CISA, hospitals are experiencing reduced access to the threat intelligence they relied on for years. These changes create unexpected expenses, thinner protection and slower guidance when vulnerabilities emerge.
Smaller and mid-sized hospitals face even greater pressure. Many lack internal security leaders or full-time cybersecurity personnel. Only about 60 percent of healthcare organizations have a designated CISO, and just 32 percent have a mature cybersecurity program capable of consistently managing today’s threat landscape.
This uneven preparedness increases systemic risk across the industry, especially given the deep interconnection between providers, clearinghouses, payers and third-party vendors.
RELATED: Choose the Right Cyber Resilient RCM Partner
Human Vulnerabilities Continue to Drive Operational and Financial Exposure
Despite the sophistication of emerging threats, many incidents stem from simple access failures:
- More than 80% of breaches are linked to poor password practices
- Ninety-one percent begin with phishing
- Nearly one-third of healthcare organizations only train staff sporadically
The financial implications are significant. A single compromised credential can shut down essential financial workflows. When credentials are misused or systems are breached, claims can’t be submitted, eligibility can’t be verified and outage mitigation becomes the top operational priority. Even short delays can create long-lasting reimbursement gaps.
Strengthening access controls, implementing multifactor authentication and building a culture of cyber awareness are becoming essential components of financial risk management.
Resilience Has Become Just as Important as Prevention
For years, many healthcare organizations concentrated heavily on preventive cybersecurity measures. As threats have evolved, it's become equally important to build the ability to recover quickly when an incident occurs. The organizations best positioned to protect their revenue cycle are adopting a balanced model that includes both strong defense and rapid operational recovery.
This approach prioritizes:
- Clear and tested incident response plans
- Continuous monitoring and real-time anomaly detection
- Regular simulations and drills
- Secure communication strategies for outage periods
- Redundant workflows that keep claims and eligibility moving
- Fast restoration pathways that minimize downtime
A strong recovery posture helps turn what could be a multi-million-dollar outage into a short-term, manageable interruption.
Data Security Is Reshaping the Next Era of RCM Platform Decisions
Security considerations are deeply influencing how organizations evaluate their RCM technology strategy. FinThrive’s survey of 100+ healthcare finance leaders shows:
- Data security ranks among the most important criteria when considering an RCM platform
- Nearly half of organizations express concerns about security when consolidating vendors
- A growing share are choosing platform or hybrid approaches to strengthen redundancy and reduce exposure
As automation, artificial intelligence (AI) and digital workflows become more central to RCM operations, the integrity and safety of the underlying data infrastructure are becoming key drivers of performance. A secure platform reduces the number of vulnerable integrations, enhances oversight and streamlines monitoring across the revenue cycle.
2026 Will Reward Organizations That Treat Security as a Financial Strategy
2026 Will Reward Organizations That Treat Security as a Financial Strategy
Healthcare leaders are increasingly approaching data security as a foundation of cost management and operational strength.
The year ahead will bring tighter budgets, continued cyber threats and rising expectations from patients and payers. The organizations that adopt a balanced approach, which includes strong preventive controls paired with operational resilience, will be best positioned to navigate uncertainty and maintain financial stability.
Data security sits at the center of that strategy. In 2026, it will define the most cost-effective and resilient revenue cycle operations.
For more information on how FinThrive can help you stay prepared and be cyber resilient, click here.
