COVID-19 and the Future of Healthcare

The current coronavirus pandemic has created many questions on what the future will hold. It is difficult to assess what the economic outcomes will be, but it is apparent that the current healthcare environment will undergo a significant transformation. Here are just a few thoughts on what the coronavirus pandemic might bring for the United States healthcare system.

1.     Creation of the US Healthcare Corps - We are seeing that a pandemic can cause more economic disruption and casualties than a traditional war. It would be logical for the United States to establish a new military service under the Department of Defense that would be dedicated to healthcare. This would mean a significant investment in facilities, equipment, and the mobilization of a new branch of service. It could also be the initial move to a nationalized healthcare system.

2.     Nationalization of Healthcare Regulations – The current pandemic has brought forth the issue that state and federal healthcare regulations are in conflict. Some states have very specific guidelines on items like telemedicine and the recent escalations have doctors trying to determine if they should follow federal guidance or state law. Regardless of if the system will be nationalized, the regulations will need to be changed. Healthcare policy will be placed in federal hands and standardized across state lines.

3.     Healthcare Draft - The United States currently has an option to call a healthcare draft as part of selective service. It is not clear if this will be implemented out of necessity or not, but it will be discussed and debated in length. The number of healthcare professionals that will be needed will grow exponentially; a draft may be the only way to staff that workforce.

4.     Acceleration of Data Interoperability - Although the healthcare industry has been working hard to standardize data exchange, there is still not an easy way to trade information between providers, hospitals, and insurance carriers. The pandemic will force policy makers to ensure that this is a top priority. With interoperability, teams will have the ability to easily identify potential outbreaks and contain issues before they cause unnecessary harm.

5.     War Game like Virus Simulations – The military has invested significant resources in modeling potential battle scenarios and potential outcomes. Generals spend a large portion of their time battling against computer generated foes and creating strategies that result in better outcomes. This approach will be adopted in healthcare and used to manage population health on a level that has not been seen before.

6.     Increased Focus on Population Health - Before the pandemic, insurance carriers were already investing a lot of money in fee for value programs like ACOs and CINs. The programs combine healthcare analytics, population health best practices, and financial rewards. These programs will grow exponentially - with healthcare analytics, germ war-game simulations, and protocol research leading the charge.

7.     Hiring of Corporate Health Officers – The pandemic has proven that the health and safety of a workforce is one of the biggest risks to ensuring revenue growth. Larger corporations were already experimenting with the hiring of general practice physicians and establishing on-site clinics to lower health insurance expense. This strategy will be expanded, and the executive team will include an officer that will manage that expense and implement strategies that will ensure a healthy workforce. This will include immunization strategies, workplace sanitation, and proactive health measures for valued employees.

8.     Well Building Standards - WELL is the leading tool for advancing health and well-being in buildings globally. It had started to gain traction prior to the pandemic, but it was seen as more of a novelty or differentiation for workplaces. Once we are past the current pandemic, people will look for assurances that locations have additional precautions to ensure safety. Indoor air filtering, virus resistant surfaces, water filtration systems, and overall workforce health will take center stage.

Some of the items listed (Interoperability and Population Health) were already under consideration and the pandemic will just accelerate the implementation. Some of the others (US Healthcare Corps and a Healthcare Draft) would have sounded out line without adding the current pandemic as context. One thing is certain, healthcare will not look the same after we emerge from our current situation.