The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision upholding the major provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) shocked many in and out of the healthcare industry. Leaders of hospitals, health-insurance organizations and pharmaceutical companies agree on one thingorganizations that have had a long-term commitment to serving underrepresented groups will now have a strategic advantage under the new rules.
Those organizations are most ready for the influx of an estimated 32 million new consumers, most of themlower-income Blacks and Latinos, and the need to care for them on a sustainable basis emphasizing wellness as opposed to constant crisis management. The critical factor in their business strategies, they tell us, is the ability to offer culturally competent healthcare and connect on a large scale to the communities they serve while being more cost effective.
“Our assessment is that the Supreme Court decision on health reform will accelerate existing trends in healthcare and the marketplace,” says Dr. Patricia Simmons, executive medical director for Health Policy at the Mayo Clinic. Those trends include consolidation of facilities, new organizations that combine hospitals and insurance companies, increased accountability for metrics-driven results, and a strong focus on community outreach.
