Healthcare Reality Check

Welcome to Healthcare Reality Check, a Nomi Health newsletter where we shine light on healthcare issues, innovations, resources, and solutions.

For December, we’re rounding up three major trends from 2024. 

Cyberattacks send shock waves throughout the country

In February 2024, Change Healthcare, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group, was hacked and went offline, effectively shutting down the financial system that fuels healthcare providers like doctors, nurses, and hospitals.   

Why did it happen?  

Healthcare data is simultaneously less protected and more valuable than any other kind of personal data.  

Why does it matter? 

Leaked healthcare data can be catastrophically damaging to victims. Studies show that patients die at higher rates at hospitals that have been hacked. Additionally, the amount of data available in healthcare records allows for widespread fraud that is very difficult to detect and can take years to resolve.  

Bottom line: The Change Healthcare breach reveals critical vulnerabilities in healthcare's data protection and demands urgent, comprehensive reforms.  

Ninety percent of Americans feel that the US is in a mental health crisis

Mental health providers respond to this crisis by leveraging the Covid-19 rise of telehealth services. Unique in the medical field, mental health professionals have increased their online activity as other branches of medicine return to in-person visits. Telehealth services are now the expected therapy modality and 80% of mental health facilities offer them. This reduces wait times to meet with a therapist, as well as the discomfort many still feel at seeking mental health care.  

Bottom line: Telehealth services benefit patients and providers. Individuals can see a doctor from the convenience and comfort of their own homes and doctors can treat more patients. Mental health professionals lead the way in leaning into online services to better serve their populations. 

GLP-1s: boom or bust?

Obesity rates in the US have dropped by almost two percentage points in the last year. These numbers correlate with a rise in using GLP-1 medications for weight loss. Some hail this as the tipping point for obesity, much like the 1963 turn from smoking.   

Two major issues surround GLP-1s: 

Efficacy: Do GLP-1s lead to sustainable, safe, and significant weight loss? Maybe. Available data cannot yet confirm their long-term impact or side effects.  

Cost: Data from Nomi reveals that spending on these drugs went up 253% from 2020 to 2023, a significant financial challenge for employer-sponsored health plans. 

Bottom line: GLP-1s might be the “magic pill” that helps solve the obesity problem. Only time will tell. Unfortunately, time is not on the side of employers shouldering the rising costs. We need a healthcare system that promotes good health without punishing those who are trying to pay for it. 

What are your top 2024 healthcare trends?

We'd love to hear your thoughts. Let us know in the comments below.

See you in 2025,

The Nomi Health Team