PWC Health Research Institute:
HRI’s top 10 health industry issues for 2016
#1-#5: Mergers, drug prices, apps, cyberscurity, deductibles.
#6-#10: Behavior, community care, big data, biosimilars, and value-based costing (not purchasing).
Note: Each numbered issue below links to a full-page discussion with graphics at the PWC website.
Issue 1: 2016 is the year of merger mania
High-profile mergers and acquisitions likely will continue in 2016, with regulators taking center stage in the debate over how consolidation impacts consumers.
High-profile mergers and acquisitions likely will continue in 2016, with regulators taking center stage in the debate over how consolidation impacts consumers.
Issue 2: Goldilocks comes to drug prices
Reminiscent of the proverbial story of Goldilocks, the search is on for a drug pricing formula that is “just right.”
Reminiscent of the proverbial story of Goldilocks, the search is on for a drug pricing formula that is “just right.”
Issue 3: Care in the palm of your hand
Thanks to technology and shifts in financial incentives, care will begin to move into the palms of consumers’ hands, providing care anywhere, anytime.
Thanks to technology and shifts in financial incentives, care will begin to move into the palms of consumers’ hands, providing care anywhere, anytime.
Issue 4: Cybersecurity concerns come to medical technology
As security breaches become more common and costly, attention shifts to buttressing the security of medical devices.
As security breaches become more common and costly, attention shifts to buttressing the security of medical devices.
Issue 5: The new money managers
Shouldering higher deductibles, consumers seek help managing their health spending with fresh tools and services developed by players new and old.
Shouldering higher deductibles, consumers seek help managing their health spending with fresh tools and services developed by players new and old.
Issue 6: Behavioral healthcare: no longer on the backburner
Employers and healthcare organizations eye behavioral healthcare as key to keeping costs down, productivity up and consumers healthy.
Employers and healthcare organizations eye behavioral healthcare as key to keeping costs down, productivity up and consumers healthy.
Issue 7: Care moves to the community
As payment shifts to value-based models, health systems will pursue lower-cost settings more aggressively than before while employing creative approaches to distributing care.
As payment shifts to value-based models, health systems will pursue lower-cost settings more aggressively than before while employing creative approaches to distributing care.
Issue 8: New databases improve patient care and consumer health
New databases and database tools will allow industry players to analyze data from many sources in novel ways, finally unlocking insights embedded in the reams of information being collected about health consumers.
New databases and database tools will allow industry players to analyze data from many sources in novel ways, finally unlocking insights embedded in the reams of information being collected about health consumers.
Issue 9: Enter the biosimilars
Biosimilars, lower-cost substitutes for branded biologic drugs, are expected to begin to offer some counterweight to rising drug prices in 2016, much as generic drugs did 30 years ago.
Biosimilars, lower-cost substitutes for branded biologic drugs, are expected to begin to offer some counterweight to rising drug prices in 2016, much as generic drugs did 30 years ago.
Issue 10: The medical cost mystery
In the journey to value-based care, health systems dig in to calculate the true cost of services, an exercise that also can uncover opportunities to become more efficient and improve care.
In the journey to value-based care, health systems dig in to calculate the true cost of services, an exercise that also can uncover opportunities to become more efficient and improve care.
Explore trends from past top health industry issues reports
Each year for the last ten years, PwC's Health Research Institute has named the top issues that will shape the US health industry in the year to come.
