Insights from Dan Mendelson on the Evolution of Healthcare from Obama to Biden

Introduction:  

In the current times, the question of healthcare reform has gained significant attention. The recent pandemic has brought out solutions that are scalable and meticulous and offer a virtual environment; technologically-driven healthcare services are poised to address the needs of the current healthcare environment. As more than half of U.S. hospitals have adopted patient monitoring devices and with a global valuation of 20% annual growth in mobile patient monitoring, healthcare organizations need to get with the program. Ambitious plans in healthcare took off during COVID, with a national strategy for immunization and testing, and are now leaning towards aggressive coverage as a priority with the current administration.   

The Past Challenges:  

When Obamacare was introduced, and Medicaid expansion was refrained from being made mandatory, broad-spectrum demographic acceptance was low due to politicizing the issue. However, in the past, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) was introduced, which magnified the incentives of Medicaid to a large extent, increasing accessibility and acceptability. One of the reasons for the success of CHIP, which ended up insuring 10 million children, was that the reform was restricted to the private sector companies.   

The Current Scenario:  

The Recovery Act has brought in a keen focus on health coverage and addressing disparity concerns. Healthcare reforms are being looked at more actively than ever before. There has been a recent reopening of enrollment for Obamacare and other existing programs, but Medicare expansion has still not gained momentum. However, with the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid, there is added hope for addressing some of the prevalent healthcare challenges. However, presently, most of the policies are driven through a public-private partnership.   

The pandemic has also created a few challenges. The government could have focused more aggressively on coverage, but at this point, a 1.9 trillion-dollar relief act has been passed to ensure that the economy is restored to normalcy. The shift towards telemedicine has also been an outcome of the pandemic. Medicare is now covering telemedicine, and that has increased its attraction. Despite its current challenges, telemedicine and other home care-driven solutions are gaining unprecedented popularity.   

When care-giving displays standard improvements and increased affordability, accepting policies and reforms is a natural outcome. Medicare Advantage plans and Medicare Managed Care have incentives in place that can substitute lower-cost care, especially when they can show that quality improves. In the 1990s, about 6 percent of Medicare beneficiaries opted into Medicare Managed Care. Currently, that figure stands at 40% and is growing by 8 percent a year.   

Environmental factors affecting the population’s health are increasingly coming under the microscope as significant factors that need to be studied and analyzed. Governments across the globe are addressing the issue. To this end, innovative technologies are being developed with a healthcare approach that keeps the patient at the core of the focus when devising innovative solutions designed to offer comprehensive outcomes. Furthermore, specimen logistics technologies work toward efficient recommendation, storage, and transportation for rapid and efficient testing. As we realize the necessity of empowering patients to take charge of their health, this approach enables patients to access and utilize healthcare technology to monitor, report, and medical record vital information. This approach is a boon when physician capacity and availability are limited.   

The Future Predictions:  

The prediction towards Medicaid is that the initial step will be to roll back many of the occurrences over the last four years. For example, work environments inhibiting people from signing up for Medicaid will be actively addressed. Expansion will be encouraged through waiver activities. Another area of improvement towards Medicaid expansion will be through ballot initiatives, which have displayed a fair amount of success in the past through a certain amount of enforcement that allows accessibility to the poorer sections of society. The fundamental trick is to get the politics right and ensure that the care is delivered through the primary companies in the private sector. If executed efficiently, the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid expansion can reach two to three million people. Another solid prediction is the reduction of drug prices, which is one way in which savings ultimately get passed on to the consumer.   

The development of virtual care is aimed at addressing the needs of the community and software solutions should be identified based on these needs. Devising solutions based on the needs of the community is the foundation to ensure success. Methods of direct communication with patients, data analysis, feedback forms, etc., will aid in determination. The future of healthcare should rely on the technology category with plenty of innovative offerings. From management of critically ill patients to clinical workflows, many healthcare opportunities can be explored in this domain. A smart deployment strategy that offers clinical and nonclinical care can prove instrumental in successful implementation and take the healthcare organization from strength to strength. Studies that target specific demographic groups and health conditions and measure the impact will go a long way in driving results.   

Conclusion  

As we hope to emerge from this contagion with optimism and a stronger healthcare mechanism, the government needs to direct its immediate attention to ensuring that the above-mentioned factors are considered as carefully as possible. Adopting innovative technologies that cater to the needs of changing times is imperative. Explore more interesting topics and listen to insightful podcasts related to healthcare only on CareTalk.

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