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.