Here are three health insurance issues to pay attention to this year.
1. Escalating prescription drug prices are not slowing down. In Massachusetts, medication spending increased 13 percent in 2013. Patrick Gilligan, executive vice president of sales, marketing and product at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, said, “On the one hand, these trends are unsustainable. On the other hand, there’s not end in sight.”
2. Healthcare is prioritizing value over volume. Payers like BCBS of Massachusetts and Aetna are moving to payment systems that reward providers based on high patient satisfaction scores.
3. The changing healthcare system makes it difficult for payers to plan ahead. With the presidential election in the not-so-distant future, payers may again have to adjust based on the changing political landscape.
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