It seems that with each day comes a new wave of health care related news, and the biggest recent story involves Amazon. We know they sell everything from gardening supplies to diet gummy bears, but can we really expect prescription drugs to be delivered next? While it may be too soon to expect free two-day shipping on your medicine, there's no doubt that Amazon's recent $1 billion purchase of the online pharmacy, PillPack, signals a significant shift in the health care industry. It's more important than ever to stay educated about all health care matters.
In a highly regulated industry where failure to comply with a new state and federal laws can mean hefty fines, we should expect the upcoming years to remain tumultuous. In 2017, America's total medical costs hit a new record of $3.4 trillion, due in part to our health care system and the current economic climate. These facts highlight that health care is always changing and that it is essential that brokers, employers and individuals stay up to date. But the question is, how do you do so?
Reading the right news
In our 24-hour news cycle, we are bombarded with a ton of content and news stories, so we need to decide what's worth remembering—or not. Whether it's a magazine or an old fashioned newspaper, finding yourself an unbiased news source is an important first step. When a new regulation is introduced that you disagree with, failure to comply won't stop a government entity from issuing a fine.
Continue Reading for Free
Register and gain access to:
- Breaking benefits news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
- Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
- Critical converage of the property casualty insurance and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, PropertyCasualty360 and ThinkAdvisor
Already have an account? Sign In Now
© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.