PBN held its fall Health Care Summit late in October, with the goal of bringing the business community up to date on the current state of health care delivery reform and payment procedures. Those in attendance were given a lot to consider.
The two panels were reluctant to speculate on the future of health insurance given the event’s timing. But with the U.S. House now controlled by Democrats, it seems likely that the Affordable Care Act is safe for a while, something that should help reduce the volatility of pricing for insurance products in the market.
Other major takeaways from the two discussions included the continued wasted spending due to unnecessary or low-value care, the potential that proactive approaches to delivering health care have to lower overall costs while improving outcomes, and the recognition of the need to approach the effects of the opioid crisis on a more comprehensive basis.
The delivery and payment of health care continues to be an important topic, one that shows no signs of shrinking from the spotlight anytime soon.