Health Companies Adapt To Diminished Likelihood Of Health Reform
Some health executives are still calling for reform in the wake of Scott Brown's upset in the Massachusetts Senate race last week that undermined Democratic efforts to advance health reform, The (Richmond) Virginian-Pilot reports. "There are, however, elements in the bills passed in partisan votes late last year that local officials would like to see eliminated, changed or at least discussed more, including plans for Medicaid and cost containment" (Jeter, 1/26).
Indeed, the Massachusetts election will likely benefit health care investors, a market analyst writes in Forbes: "It's much too early to know what changes will come to pass in this sector, but now it seems reasonable for investors to proceed under the assumption that it won't be saddled with a one-sided Democratic agenda. If there's to be any change, it is now more likely that legal mandates will be operationally manageable and tolerable from a cost standpoint" (Gerstein, 1/25).