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Healthcare Leaders Split on Incoming Trump Administration

News  |  By Jonathan Bees  
   January 19, 2017

While 41% of executives are generally positive about the potential impact of a Trump administration, nearly as many (37%) are generally negative about the prospects. The figures regarding Tom Price at HHS and Seema Verma at CMS are similar in a HealthLeaders Media survey.

This is part of a series covering the Shaping of Healthcare's Future in the Trump era.

As the Obama administration exits the stage in Washington and the Trump administration takes its place, healthcare industry executives are collectively holding their breath as they anticipate the changes to come. It is a unique moment in history for the industry: Will the healthcare policies of the past eight years remain in place and continue to evolve, or will they be discarded and replaced?

"Healthcare in the Trump Era," a new HealthLeaders Media survey, provides a snapshot from healthcare industry leaders of what they view as needed by the new administration as it formulates and revises healthcare policy.


ACA Changes Favored 2 to 1 by Healthcare Leaders Over Repeal and Replace


Survey respondents are divided about the impact a Trump administration will have on the healthcare industry. Forty-one percent say that they expect the administration to have either a very positive (14%) or positive (27%) impact, and 37% say that they expect either a very negative (18%) or negative (19%) impact. Another 10% say that the administration will have a neutral impact, and 13% don't know.

A greater share of respondents who say the Trump administration will have a very positive or positive impact on the healthcare industry are from the South (50%) than the Midwest (41%), Northeast (34%), and West (34%).

Conversely, a greater share of respondents who say the administration will have a very negative or negative impact on the industry are from the Northeast (42%), West (41%), and the Midwest (39%) than the South (27%).

Regarding Health and Human Services Secretary nominee Tom Price, MD, a plurality (43%) of healthcare leaders expect that he would have a positive/very positive impact on the industry, while 34% expect a negative/very negative impact, 10% expect a neutral impact, and 14% don't know.

There is more uncertainty regarding Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator nominee Seema Verma. One-third (33%) of healthcare leaders expect that she would have a positive/very positive impact on the industry, while 21% expect a negative/very negative impact, 24% expect a neutral impact, and 22% don't know.

The uncertainty about Trump administration policies is having an impact on the strategic planning of most healthcare executives.

Half of respondents (50%) say they are putting some things on hold until they know more with regard to their organization's strategic planning. Another 18% of respondents indicate they are revising and updating some plans, and only 3% say they are making extensive changes to their plans. Twenty-nine percent say they are making no changes to their plans.

While much is unknown about the incoming Trump administration's healthcare plans, this much is certain: Healthcare providers—and, indeed, much of the country—remain divided on the best course forward for healthcare.

The silver lining is that there are areas of consensus, and with that comes the hope of a workable solution. Two-thirds of respondents (65%) in this survey favor reducing regulations, but within reason as some regulations are needed, and two-thirds (66%) say the best option for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is to make some changes, but otherwise retain it. Both of these results are an indication that broad consensus is possible. However, as always, the devil is in the details.

Jonathan Bees is a research analyst for HealthLeaders.


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