In the emerging Smart Health Market, a greater portion of buying power is shifting to consumers. As families become more sensitive to costs, they’re also demanding a system that works for them. And what works? In a word: convenience! There’s no doubt that consumer expectations for convenience in every aspect of life are energizing the trend toward “distributed
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No one was surprised when Amazon announced it had set up HIPAA compliance for its Alexa technology. Yeah, we figured it was only a matter of time. By clearing this gigantic regulatory hurdle, Alexa has been able to launch some nifty new consumer tools. And we know the Smart Health Market is shaped by consumer demand for
No doubt healthcare is changing, but how fast will it change and into what? Over the last six months, Canton & Company engaged industry insiders for their views on the overall direction for healthcare. In some cases, the results validated our suspicions, and in one case, we learned something we didn’t expect.
We’re keeping a close eye on the ingenious “Netflix model” two states are launching to pay for hepatitis C drugs. It certainly has some implications for how a Smart Health Market might approach rising drug spend. Earlier this year, Louisiana and Washington announced requests for pharma bids on fixed-cost contracts that allow the states unrestricted
Not so long ago, addressing social determinants of health (SDOH) was considered a bleeding-edge concept. While pretty much every stakeholder agreed that “life” factors make an enormous difference in health outcomes, few had the stomach to test out new programs. Well, grab your Tums, because SDOH have become an integral part of strategic plans among
At HIMSS 2019, CMS Administrator Seema Verma reminded the throngs of health IT enthusiasts that patient data belongs to patients. We couldn’t agree more. In a white paper published last year, we introduced the concept of the Smart Health Market and discuss the topics of interoperability, data access, and data ownership. This move by CMS
Prices matter. They are the fuel that energizes the free market, setting buyers into action. However, when U.S. hospitals posted their prices online for the first time in January, it was nothing but crickets. The big reveal had no effect on the market. The posted prices were meaningless, and no consumers made buying decisions based
We love a good Smart Health Market story, and a recent article in FierceHealthcare about the partnership between ride-sharing giant Lyft and Medicare Advantage (MA) plans made us smile. Common sense and uncommon partners at work to solve real problems and drive better results. These are the makings of the Smart Health Market. Lyft began
Medicare is in serious trouble. Mike Leavitt recently warned stakeholders in a whitepaper that Medicare Part A will run out of money in 2026, and there is no backup plan. We’ve heard the same from other experts, as well. Time is running out, according to Leavitt. And he certainly knows his stuff. He led HHS
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) continues to develop new concepts and test new ideas to improve the way care is delivered in this country. We think it’s great. They are paying attention to changes in the healthcare landscape – like the incredible growth in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans – and they are