Digital member engagement has increased between 30 and 50 percent year over year, according to the findings from Engagys’ annual state of engagement survey.
The survey, now in its 10th year, includes responses from more than 20 health organizations, representing a cross section of health plan professionals responsible for member engagement, communications, and experience strategy.
The findings reveal how health plans are adapting to a year defined by constrained budgets, shifting regulatory priorities, and growing digital maturity., according to Joel Radford, co-founder and managing partner at Engagys, a leading health care consumer engaging consulting and advisory services firm.
“Health plans are aligning engagement investments to measurable outcomes, proving what works, and scaling with precision,” Radford said in an announcement about the survey findings. “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.”
The survey asked questions on departmental focus, initiatives, and focus; consumer engagement strategies; key measures of success; challenges impeding engagement efforts, AI integration, and health equity initiatives.
Among the key findings
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 percent 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 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.
Engagement priorities for 2026: Health plans identified three strategic engagement imperatives for the year ahead. They intend to advance AI from pilot to scale backed by strong data governance; deepen digital infrastructure and automation to improve efficiency and cost savings; and 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, in the announcement. “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.”
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