Healthcare industry bracing for drastic changes under Trump administration

Translating bold campaign trail claims of “repeal and replace” into legislative action can often be challenging with any established bill, let alone one as complex as the Affordable Care Act (ACA). As the ACA is built on a number of interlocking provisions and funding mechanisms, any unilateral actions proposed by the new administration must carefully take into consideration any potential secondary repercussions.

“Initially, rather than outright repeal, the Trump administration and Congress could simply defund certain aspects of the bill, as well as chose to not enforce certain punitive aspects of the bill,” said Frost & Sullivan Visionary Healthcare Industry analyst Kamaljit Behera, adding: “Many of those provisions include most prominently mandates on health insurance coverage for individuals and large employers, as well as taxes aimed at high premium insurance plans, and medical device manufacturers. ‘’

A recent article from Frost & Sullivan’s Visionary Healthcare Growth Partnership Service program looks at the possibilities unfolding over the next 100 days for the healthcare industry. It also explores the opportunities and challenges in sectors such as pharma & biopharma, medical technologies, diagnostics, healthcare IT, providers (hospitals), payers (health insurance), and consumers.

As changes transpire and developments unfold, Frost & Sullivan's experts are working with industry leading organizations and companies to help them understand any direct implications of the US presidential election and develop appropriate strategies.

President-elect Trump appointed Tom Price and Seema Verma, respectively to lead the departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). As he seems inclined to focus on big picture themes and delegate execution to his cabinet members, these appointees might have more authority to implement changes than any of their predecessors.

As a former practicing orthopedic surgeon, Congressman Tom Price is expected to fight against measures that restrict the autonomy of physicians in determining the appropriate course of care for their patients. This notion creates a degree of uncertainty around the roll out of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) legislation, a bill that fundamentally changes how physicians are compensated when supporting Medicare beneficiaries.

Announced initiatives of the new administration when considered in conjunction with bi-partisan passage of the 21st Century Cures Act, which dramatically modifies how new therapeutics and technologies are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, will make 2017 a true game changing year for the industry.