SUMMARY: Change is coming to healthcare. Its become too profitable, and too many people are seeing raises eaten by rising insurance premiums. Despite all this, we, as a country, continue to ignore the fact that Americans are overeating, don’t exercise and then expect our health problems to go away with a little pill.
KEY SUMMARY: For years, businesses have responded to rising health care costs primarily by shifting more of those costs onto their employees, through higher deductibles and other cost-sharing. The average deductible is now 212% higher than it was in 2008. Employers cover more people than any other insurer and account for about 20% of all health care spending — almost $700 billion in 2017. With rising, costs companies may decide to form their own health insurance organizations.
KEY TAKEAWAY: While patients are going online to research new drugs and treatments, pharma websites are becoming a less important part of the decision making. DTC marketers need to focus more on digital and less on TV.
KEY TAKEAWAY: As big pharma gets bigger, the one challenge they have mastered is the reduction in administrative burdens they place on managers and employees.
KEY TAKEAWAY: 71% of healthcare professionals believe that people with obesity are not interested in losing weight. “Obesity is one of the most complex, chronic health challenges faced by our society today, yet the current approach to obesity management falls short compared to other similar chronic diseases,” commented Professor Ian Caterson, ACTION IO lead investigator and foundation director of the Boden Institute at the University of Sydney.
IN SUMMARY: I have been critical of big pharma because they keep their loyalty to Wall Street instead of patients. When the really good people within the industry learn to take risks and be heard the industry might change.