The future looks grim for health plans unless substantial changes are made in their favor to the Affordable Care Act, says one healthcare economist. That outcome doesn't look at all certain, though.
The current debate over the future of the Affordable Care Act is obscuring a more pedestrian reality. Just because a person is insured, it doesn’t mean he or she can actually afford their doctor, hospital, pharmaceutical, and other medical bills.
Even if required benefits are trimmed in the next version of the American Health Care Act, the employer market is not likely to react soon. Employers do need to brace for more price sensitivity, however.
The health system is committed to a high-value, population health-focused, telehealth approach. "In our effort to work well with the consumer, we don’t dumb down the medicine," says Marc Harrison, MD.
Insurers are finding it difficult to set premiums and plan for the future when key elements of healthcare reform are still up in the air. They are most concerned over subsidies for low income consumers and changes in how Medicaid is funded.
With an eye toward developing a customer-centric ethos, many hospitals and health systems are looking outside the industry for established senior leaders. IU Health's HR chief is one of those breaking the mold.
The CEO’s comments break with conventional wisdom, showing that at least one insurance industry leader has strong reservations about returning to the practice of scrutinizing people’s medical histories to determine rates.
Rhode Island-based CVS Health’s profit sank 17 percent in the first quarter as the drugstore chain started feeling the loss of some big customers, but it still beat Wall Street expectations. Net income fell to $952 million in the quarter after its pharmacies were excluded...
