Report #1:  HOW WE GOT HERE

Identifying investment opportunities in the rapidly changing U.S. healthcare sector requires a thorough understanding of the system and the issues underlying the current healthcare debate. As an aid in this process, Discern has produced a series of context-setting reports reviewing the current status of the U.S. Healthcare system, its key participants, major trends, and characteristics of potential winners and losers in the coming years.

This first report in the series focuses on the history of how the U.S. healthcare system evolved, an element we consider essential to understand in order to put current issues and opportunities into context. Subsequent reports will cover the structure of industry sectors and how short-term political challenges and long-term trends are affecting different sub-sectors and players.

For the full report, go to Healthcare Report #1_How We Got Here.pdf

Report #3: WINNERS and LOSERS across HEALTHCARE INDUSTRIES

Passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has dramatically changed the conversation about healthcare in the U.S., opening new market niches, and creating new winners – and losers.  Though the debate over the ACA continues, we believe repeal is unlikely.  The critical question thus becomes one of how the provisions of the ACA will unfold, and what other trends are important to consider as actionable opportunities.  This report offers an overview of who we believe will be the winners and losers in both the next year as well as the longer-term future.

For the full report, go to Healthcare Report #3_Winners and Losers.pdf

Figure:  A chronology of U.S. healthcare policy, Source: Discern

Report #2: HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY STRUCTURE and TRENDS

In the second in our series of reports on the U.S. healthcare system, we explore the impact that crucial external driving forces --politics, demographic changes and technology --  are having on the various players across the industry. It is the intersection of these driving forces with the urgency implied by implementation of the ACA that is the dominant current shaping U.S. healthcare system trends.  With this as context, we explore the characteristics we believe will be critical for industries hoping to thrive in the new healthcare environment.

For the full report, go to Healthcare Report #2_Structure and Trends.pdf

Figure:  2011 U.S. Population and Healthcare Costs by Age,                              Sources: U.S. Census Data, CDC Health 2012 Data, CMS Gender and Age Tables

For additional information about how I can help you innovate in healthcare, digital health, and life science, see Healthcare Expertise or my Welcome page describing my work as a Corporate Innovation Catalyst