Health execs: How I feel about healthcare’s future

Healthcare has been through so many twists and turns lately, it’s easy to question its future. What will the Affordable Care Act (ACA) look like? Will there be an ACA? What will access, reimbursement and care delivery look like? Will drug costs continue to plague the industry?

For the most part, while these questions and more weigh on the minds of executives, they are generally optimistic about the prognosis of healthcare. We asked key players: How do you feel about the future of healthcare? Here’s what they said.

“This is an exciting time to be in medicine and healthcare. The world is changing quickly and those of us who are involved have an obligation to speak up and be part of the discussion. Health, medicine, quality and cost-all of which are interconnected-will drive changes that will sweep across the healthcare landscape for the foreseeable future.” -Roy Beveridge, MD, chief medical officer, Humana

“It’s fair to say that the future of healthcare is bright. There are many opportunities ahead for innovators to deliver value-driven, personalized care that engages the patient. New models of care that encourage innovation and promote appropriate care should be encouraged, not models that impose additional bureaucracy. While we have reduced the number of uninsured during this Administration, the models for financing care need to be re-evaluated and restructured. When premiums are unaffordable, nobody benefits. After the election, it is time for the legislative and executive branches to work collaboratively to address these issues.” -Joel V. Brill, chief medical officer, Predictive Health

“In the future, in the United States of America, access to healthcare will be better, quality of care will be worse for the masses and better for the elite and it will keep getting more expensive.” - Perry Cohen, chief executive officer, The Pharmacy Group

“I am optimistic about the future of healthcare. We are increasingly embracing healthcare delivery and research enterprises that emphasize transparency and openness. For healthcare delivery, a future where patients have control of their electronic medical records, can make decisions based on quality and value, and providers are using interoperable platforms will lead to improved, patient-centered care. For research, a future where all research results are reported and data is shared will enable more informed clinical decision-making.”-Joseph S. Ross, MD, MHS, primary care physician and associate professor of medicine and public health, Yale University

“The future for Medicare and Medicaid managed healthcare is very bright. Many have learned how to compete to win and retain members, often with challenging social and health issues, and provide them access to a level of care that they wouldn’t have had previously. All while staying profitable within defined premiums. As a result, these plans have made significant gains in the ACA healthcare marketplaces and will thrive as more states expand their Medicaid programs. The opposite is true for large commercial MCOs. Most have demonstrated an inability to meaningfully manage care for members, resorting instead to extreme deductibles, high copays and unsustainable premiums, particularly in the ACA marketplaces that many are now fleeing. Unless they figure this out, they face a difficult future if employers begin turning to the ACA marketplaces for healthcare coverage.”-Don Hall, a former health plan CEO, and principal, Delta Sigma LLC, in Littleton, Colorado.