Here are five trends affecting medical inflation.
1. The Cadillac tax the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act places on high-priced plans, shifting costs from employers to employees, is expected to drive down the growth of medical costs.
2. Telemedicine’s growing traction could drive more efficiency and convenience than traditional healthcare models.
3. Consumers are being steered toward high-quality, efficient healthcare providers, further contributing to the drop in costs.
4. Despite the several trends driving down inflation, there are a number of factors pushing back in the other direction. For example, new specialty drugs entering the market this year and next will contribute to rising healthcare costs, according to the report.
5. The growing threat of cyberattacks is forcing healthcare providers to invest more in cybersecurity, adding another layer of cost to healthcare’s overall price tag.
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