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Behind the numbers: Medical cost trends for 2009
From one year to the next, healthcare costs for employers and their workers always go up. Yet, for the past five years there's been some positive news. The growth rate has been dropping. However, that trend will level off in 2009, according to employers and health plans. The new Health Research Institute (HRI) report, "Behind the numbers: Medical cost trends for 2009", addresses the cyclical nature of the healthcare industry and provides insights into the conflicting factors that are contributing to both cost increases and savings. See Behind the numbers: Medical cost trends for 2009.
Behind the numbers: Medical cost trends for 2010
Medical costs are expected to increase in 2010 by 9%, which is slightly less than recent years; 9.2% in 2009 and 9.9% in 2008. However, these rates still significantly outpace real incomes and the rate of inflation. Reacting to higher medical costs as the economy recovers will require innovative approaches to deal with workers and healthcare stakeholders. This year's report addresses cost trends for the coming year, the impact the recession and promise for reform have had on the healthcare industry, and how businesses are reacting to higher medical costs.
Children’s Medical Center integrates process improvement and electronic health record initiatives
Modern Healthcare and PricewaterhouseCoopers present Straight Talk. This session addresses process improvement and EHR initiatives and was held at Modern Healthcare’s Chicago headquarters on August 26, 2008. Fawn Lopez, publisher of Modern Healthcare, was the moderator.

Children’s Medical Center, a two-hospital pediatric system in the Dallas metropolitan area, is successfully embracing one of healthcare’s more challenging missions: to significantly improve care delivery by providing real-time, all-the-time access to electronic health records (EHR) for patients and providers. Children’s, affiliated with UT Southwestern Medical Center, is licensed for 483 beds. Its leadership approaches the EHR project as an integral component of hospital-wide process improvement initiative, involving collaboration among senior leaders, physicians, clinical personnel and information technology experts. See Children’s Medical Center integrates process improvement and electronic health record initiatives.
Doing more with less: How can healthcare providers cut IT costs in today's economic climate?
Many healthcare providers have responded to the economic downturn by cutting expenses. However, the Obama administration is pushing healthcare providers to invest more resources to implement electronic health records (EHRs). This situation presents a unique opportunity born out of necessity to simplify and standardize the massive patchwork of IT functions. Organizations that focus on the long-term transformation of their IT infrastructure will likely thrive after the current economic downturn passes. Providers that meet the stimulus bill's directive for EHR adoption will be better positioned in an industry targeted for massive IT growth. These organizations will not only be rewarded with significant short-term benefits, but also will possess the foundation for long-term, sustainable IT cost reduction.
Fair value option considerations: A guide for not-for-profit organizations
PricewaterhouseCoopers is pleased to bring you Fair value option considerations: A guide for not-for-profit organizations. Issued in February 2007, FASB Statement No. 159 (FAS 159), The Fair Value Option for Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities, expands the ability to select fair value as the basis of measurement for certain financial assets and liabilities, referred to as the fair value option (FVO). This guide looks at accounts typically found in the financial statements of not-for-profits organizations (including healthcare, higher education and other not-for-profits) and discusses some of the pros and cons of making FVO elections under FAS 159.See more
 Healthcare policy in an Obama administration: Delivering on the promise of universal coverage
President Barack Obama has pledged to implement multiple changes in our health care system with the goal to increase access and affordability of health care in the United States. This report recognizes the difficulty in developing such reforms in light of current market conditions, the implications reforms could have and provides five suggestions to make health care more affordable. To find out more about how the President proposes to implement changes to the existing health care system and the possible impact of such reforms read, Healthcare policy in an Obama administration: Delivering on the promise of universal coverage.
HealthCast 2010: Smaller world, bigger expectations
Our survey group included a mix of policy makers, health system executives, employers, physicians, insurers and medical supply vendors. In addition, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) practice leaders interviewed more than 50 thought leaders from seven countries at length about future trends and their implications for the industry's stakeholders.
HealthCast 2020: Creating a sustainable future
In this groundbreaking report, HealthCast 2020, PricewaterhouseCoopers looks at solutions and responses from around the world to the globalization and industrywide convergence of healthcare. What insights, best practices and policy lessons can be learned from experiences in various countries to create a globally sustainable health system? Who, or what, is driving the solutions?
HealthCast tactics: A blueprint for the future
This report suggests tactics for the healthcare industry to employ over the next three to five years. According to HealthCast Tactics, there are significant gaps between what healthcare executives, policy makers and employers rate as important and what is being implemented performance-based reimbursement, privacy, and clinical excellence. The report draws on a survey of more than 650 top executives of hospital systems, payers, governments, medical supply vendors, physician groups and employers.
Impact of FAS 157 on contribution accounting: A guide for not-for-profit organizations
PricewaterhouseCoopers is pleased to bring you Impact of FAS 157 on contribution accounting: A guide for not-for-profit organizations. FASB Statement No. 157 (FAS 157), Fair Value Measurements, is a broad principle-based standard that provides a consistent model for determining fair value measures. Using a case study format, this guide provides a high-level overview of the FAS 157 framework and then explores how FAS 157 could be applied by not-for-profit organizations (including healthcare, higher education and other not-for-profits) to contribution-related fair value measurements. See more
 Jammed access: Widening the front door to healthcare
This report from the Health Research Institute (HRI), Jammed access: Widening the front door to healthcare*, addresses how we can increase access to care without increasing costs. The report focuses on three key obstacles that adversely impact accessibility: crowded points of entry; a system that is confusing to navigate; and individuals who inevitably fail to act on their health early. Jammed access: Widening the front door to healthcare* provides solutions and recommendations for the problems facing the healthcare industry.
PricewaterhouseCoopers answers five top questions on Form 990
While the debate continues to evolve regarding the lengths hospitals and not for profits must go to justify their tax exempt status — one thing is clear — the deadline looms. See more
 Proposals to policy: A national conversation on healthcare reform
Susan Dentzer, editor-in-chief of Health Affairs and health correspondent of The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, moderated a panel of healthcare experts, economists and lawmakers as they discussed President Obama's health care reform proposals. This broadcast was recorded from the National Press Club, Washington, D.C. on November 20, 2008.
PwC Straight Talk on creating a climate of innovation: Healthcare industry leaders discuss what they're doing to nurture innovation
The United States faces another political season, and, likely, a volatile debate about what can be done to improve the current health system. Everyone agrees that the current path is not sustainable, and is fracturing around access, affordability and quality. Failure is not inevitable; in our global research report, HealthCast 2020: Creating a sustainable health system, PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Health Research Institute identified "Climate of Innovation" as one of the key features needed for sustainability.
Rebuilding healthcare in Louisiana: A blueprint for the nation
Executives from Franciscan Missionaries Of Our Lady Health System, Baton Rouge, and Ochsner Health System, New Orleans, discuss the present and future state of healthcare in Louisiana and how they have struggled to cope with day-to-day challenges while also preparing for the future.

See related report Louisiana Recovery Authority Endorses PwC Healthcare Report.
Recapturing the vision: Integrity driven performance in the pharmaceutical industry
Pharmaceutical companies face increasingly regulatory scrutiny and highly critical media coverage of the industry's R&D, marketing and manufacturing practices. This report explores the reputation issues and compliance challenges facing the industry.
Research rewired: Merging care and research information to improve knowledge discovery
Today's ad hoc methods of managing research information are beginning to strain under increasing demands for new drugs, more personalized medicine, better diagnostic tools, and post-market safety monitoring. This report investigates the benefits, barriers, and emerging approaches to creating an integrated information environment that will help to shape scientific diagnostic, drug, and device discovery in the future. See more
 Rock and a hard place: An analysis of the $36 billion impact from health IT stimulus funding
By injecting $36 billion in health IT through the stimulus fund, the federal government hopes to create a digital healthcare infrastructure that reduces costs and improves quality. Hospitals and physicians that want the stimulus money will find they have little choice but to comply with the new requirements or suffer future shortfalls in Medicare reimbursement.
Straight Talk: Looking at health system disaster preparedness
When — not if — a large-scale disaster hits, Americans expect a carefully orchestrated and sequenced response from hospitals, emergency workers and public health officials. In their greatest time of need, the system may fail them unless disaster preparedness becomes a greater priority. In this StraightTalk roundtable, health industry leaders discuss the steps health executives should take to ensure an effective response to a disaster.
Super cluster: Ideas, perspectives and updates from the Massachusetts life sciences industry
Massachusetts is a leader in the life sciences on many measures. This report provides economic analysis on provides trends related to employment, wages, and public funding. It also draws on information from the 2007 PwC Massachusetts Life Sciences Cluster Survey, which provides insight on future opportunities and threats from over 100 executives in all sectors of the life sciences in Massachusetts. Woven into the report are the perspectives of key leaders in life sciences in Massachusetts, who focus on the groundbreaking work being performed in the Commonwealth and its global implications.
TGen: Translational Genomics Research Institute
Translational research generates tremendous benefits. The nexus between basic research and its commercial applications is too often neglected yet it can attract players on both sides, creating a true hub of scientific and business activity.
The price of excess: Identifying waste in healthcare spending
More than half of the $2.2 trillion spent annually on healthcare in the US could be considered wasteful, according to an analysis published by PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Health Research Institute. Defensive medicine, such as redundant, inappropriate or unnecessary tests and procedures, was identified as the biggest area of excess, followed by inefficient healthcare administration and the cost of care necessitated by conditions such as obesity, which can be considered preventable by lifestyle changes.
Top eight health industry issues in 2008
Health organizations face a pivotal year in 2008 as they anticipate the wildcard outcome of the presidential election. Meanwhile, they must prepare for impending changes — pharmaceutical and life sciences companies are adapting to a new safety agenda from the FDA including the agency's expanded authority over post-market drug safety. See more
 Top nine health industry issues in 2009
In 2009, external forces will compel health industry organizations to react to new financial realities, regulations, and technology. Chief among those forces will be the effects of the economic crisis, a new president and Congress, and financial and technology companies looking to extend their reach into the health industry.  PricewaterhouseCoopers' report from the Health Research Institute (HRI) identifies nine significant issues that will shape the health industry in 2009.  To find out more about these nine issues and their implications read, Top nine health industry issues in 2009.
 Transforming healthcare through secondary use of health data
This report, Transforming healthcare through secondary use of health data, addresses a key challenge the industry faces - leveraging the vast amount of electronic data which will result from current investments in IT to implement electronic health records. Despite these challenges, the opportunity for the industry to cut cost and improve care will drive innovation and collaboration in secondary use of data.
What employers want from health insurers – now
Studies show that most employers are satisfied with their health benefits and want to continue providing these benefits to their employees. However, employers' expectations of their health insurers are changing, and while many studies in the past have examined the relationship between employees and their employer-sponsored benefits, less is known about employers and what they want from insurance carriers. To find out more about the evolving attitudes US employers have regarding health insurers read, What employers want from health insurers - now.
 You get what you pay for: A global look at balancing demand, quality, and efficiency in healthcare payment reform
As the pressure to control health spending increases, payers, governments, and providers are compelled to scrutinize the quality and amount of care they'll be able to deliver in the future. Health leaders around the world see the health payment system as one of the best tools in managing this challenge and achieving sustainability. However, with less than 40% of those same leaders ranking their existing payment system as good, every country has room to improve and can benefit from shared best practices. See You get what you pay for: A global look at balancing demand, quality, and efficiency in healthcare payment reform.