This article was originally featured in Managed Healthcare Executive - here is the link to the original.
With intense legislative pressure on drug pricing and healthcare transparency, as well as broad public support for changes to the healthcare model, managed healthcare executives will need to focus on several areas in 2020 including better transparency, stable or lower healthcare costs, and reinforcing the value managed healthcare organizations provide in the healthcare market of the United States.
“Success in these measures will be defined by stakeholders including patients, providers, and employers having a better understanding and view of their healthcare costs; stable or reduced costs of healthcare that patients and employers actually feel through premiums and cost-share; and improvement in the perception of health plans and PBMs by the public,” says Jeremy Schafer, PharmD, senior vice president of New York-based Precision for Value, a group of consultants providing payer insights. “Achieving these objectives will be critical to reduce the risk of seismic changes to healthcare after the 2020 election.”
Here are some other thoughts on what will define success in 2020.
Chris Wing, CEO of SCAN Health Plan, a not-for-profit, Medicare Advantage, health maintenance organization based in Long Beach, California, says there is no shortage of challenges and opportunities ahead.
“In 2020, I expect to see increased competition within the Medicare Advantage market,” he says. “As the population ages and more seniors seek the resources and services needed to age independently, plans must offer flexible benefits that will align with a variety of needs. Along with more entrants into the market, we believe the curve for CMS star ratings will become steeper as a result.”