Healthcare mergers and acquisitions are facing heightened regulatory and antitrust scrutiny in 2026 as the FTC, DOJ, and HHS target potentially anticompetitive deals across hospitals, insurers, physician practices, and private‑equity‑backed roll‑ups. Updated merger guidelines, broader review standards, and cross‑government inquiries are forcing buyers and sellers to reassess deal strategies, increasingly tying approvals to competitive impacts on costs, quality, and access. As consolidation pressures persist amid cost and reimbursement headwinds, how regulators and market players navigate M&A will shape competitive dynamics and healthcare pricing in 2026.