Rising Employer RFP Activity Highlights Shift Toward Centers of Excellence in Healthcare

According to a recent LinkedIn post from World Class Health, data from the Purchaser Business Group on Health (PBGH) 2026 member survey indicate a sharp rise in employers running medical RFPs, with 37% doing so this year versus 12% in 2024. The post interprets this tripling of activity as a sign of growing employer dissatisfaction with traditional health plans and a search for alternative models.

The company’s LinkedIn post highlights Centers of Excellence (COEs) as a key area of employer focus, citing Business Group on Health data suggesting 84% of employers plan to implement some form of COE in 2026. The content frames COEs as addressing both cost and predictability, positioning them as a potential response to volatility in conventional network pricing.

As described in the post, World Class Health points to a coronary artery bypass graft in the New York metro area, where commercial rates reportedly range from $63,344 to $604,630 across major payers. This near tenfold spread is presented as evidence of unpredictable costs for employers using traditional carrier networks, which may complicate budgeting and financial planning for large plan sponsors.

The post suggests that COE contracts, exemplified by a hypothetical $150,000 bundled rate, could give employers clearer advance visibility into procedure costs and improve planning for finance leaders such as CFOs. For investors, wider employer adoption of COEs could signal shifting revenue flows within the healthcare ecosystem, potentially benefiting specialized providers and platforms that can deliver predictable pricing and measurable outcomes.

From an industry perspective, the discussion underscores growing pressure on legacy carrier models and fee-for-service structures that permit wide intra-network price variation. If employers increasingly pivot toward COE-based arrangements and more aggressive RFP processes, companies positioned around value-based care, network curation, or direct-to-employer solutions may see expanding addressable markets and stronger bargaining leverage with traditional insurers.

For World Class Health, the emphasis on COEs and employer cost certainty may hint at strategic alignment with these trends, whether through partnerships, product offerings, or advisory roles, although the post does not detail specific commercial initiatives. Investors tracking the company and comparable private players may view this focus as indicative of where future demand and potential revenue opportunities in employer-sponsored healthcare could concentrate over the coming years.