A wave of consolidation
Consolidation has dominated healthcare news over the past few years. Mergers between hospitals, payers, clinics, and other healthcare organizations are turning an ecosystem of individual stakeholders into one dominated by a few giants. At the same time, we’re seeing new players with sizable influence enter the industry, with Amazon as the best example.
This constant disruptor has pledged to create more advanced healthcare delivery models, meaning it could begin weighing in on everything from prescription drugs to medical technology. Reactions to this recent wave of consolidations have been mixed. Smaller players worry that pressure from the few major organizations in the industry could lower the quality of care patients receive and eliminate choice. Supporters, on the other hand, champion the same idea from the opposite angle: They claim economies of scale will lower healthcare expenses while still providing exceptional care. Read the full article by Marc Helberg in PharmaLive.