Election 2016 and Healthcare: Does It Even Matter Who Wins?
The Affordable Care Act a.k.a. Obamacare is one of the largest pieces of American legislation ever passed and, by vote, is the most controversial. Obamacare was supposed to ensure that everyone could get health insurance coverage and help control the cost of American healthcare, which had been rising annually at 2% beyond the rate of inflation.
Today, despite a brief slowdown, national healthcare costs are beginning to creep up again. Health insurance coverage is being diluted and employers are shifting costs to employees. While hospitals duke it out with insurance companies and doctors, and each of them fights with politicians, and politicians with each other, you get the feeling that this is a movie we’ve all seen before.
Only, it’s not the same movie this time. It’s not even the sequel. Technology and the connection economy are changing every aspect of our world in a way that few can comprehend. While the same old players stumble through the plot, the new protagonists, i.e. the innovators and entrepreneurs of the world, are creating a healthcare vision that has little to do with the traditional hegemony.
In terms of care delivery, there are world-class healthcare facilities appearing in places that have never been known for healthcare before. The technical maturation of the global medical industry and healthcare economics in the US are causing more Americans to seek care outside the US. Some of the best heart surgeons reside in India, some of the best hospitals are in Southeast Asia, and guess what? They are all welcoming Americans with low prices, high quality, and open arms.
While the Affordable Care Act has proven that the excessive complexity of the US healthcare system is probably beyond the reach of a President, it has become the perfect target for entrepreneurs. So does it matter who wins #Election2016? Not for the disruptive innovator it doesn’t.
Kyle E. Johnson is the CEO and Co-founder of MedicalBnB.com. He lives in Seattle, WA where he spends his free time outdoors with his wife, three children, and their little dachshund.
