Regulatory changes in the future of health

Seismic Shifts webcast: Regulatory changes in the future of health

In this rapidly changing world in which life sciences and health care organizations are facing everything from fast-moving technological advancements to a global pandemic, the mitigation of risk is one of the keys to survival and success. In this four-part series of webinars for life sciences and health care professionals, we dive into critical areas that will likely transform health care as we know it—and discuss what organizations can do today to prepare for tomorrow.

In the future of health, policymakers will likely seek to drive innovation, in part, by strengthening incentives to participate in new payment and delivery models, creating new baseline requirements for interoperability, and moving toward broad price transparency in health care.

In this webcast, our speakers discuss:

• Why a changing regulatory environment will help redefine the future of health
• How virtual health and health care convergence will be affected by the evolving role of the empowered consumer
• The need for price transparency and improved requirements for interoperability

What to know and what to do about the regulatory changes in the future of health

Importantly, regulators are continuing a trend to emphasize innovation in health care and make it easier for nontraditional players to enter the health care space, laying the groundwork for continuing disruption and the need for new alliances.

5 insights you should know

• Health care is poised to remain a top priority for regulators for the foreseeable future because of the magnitude of health care in the US economy, the federal budget, and the labor market.
• A shift in health care regulatory priorities has been underway for more than a decade under both Democratic and Republican administrations. Innovation in payment, care delivery, and financing models will likely remain among the top priorities for Congress and regulators.
• Health care stakeholders will face escalating pressure to articulate their cost-to-value narrative as quality and cost information is made more readily available to health care purchasers at all levels, ranging from the federal government to employers to individuals.
• Alternative payment models continue to grow in importance for providers participating in government programs and commercial contracts as headwinds strengthen against traditional fee-for-service reimbursement systems.
• In response to the COVID-19 public health emergency, regulators eased rules around telehealth and other virtual care services. While congressional action would be required to make permanent changes to Medicare reimbursement policy, Medicare Advantage and other commercial payers are continuing to explore virtual care options.