How Healthcare Could Crash the Economy – And How We Can Stop It
The health care system is an industry that will personally touch all of us at some point in our lives. But as it consumes an ever-larger share of the US economy, it also threatens our financial well-being. Especially as a new administration moves to "repeal or replace" or "fix" the Affordable Care Act, now is the time to gain a deeper understanding of the health industry.
That's the subject of this new book by Ron Howrigon, President and CEO of Fulcrum Strategies. "Health care is the largest single segment of our economy and it is quickly spiraling out of control," the author comments. "This book can give readers and understanding of the health care industry, why it's in trouble—and what needs to happen to fix it."
This book presents a concise, comprehensible overview of the critical issues and challenges facing the economics of health care. Readers will learn about:
The unsustainable rate of inflation in the cost of health care—and the "market adjustment" that could send the US economy into a tailspin.
The three economic factors that explain why health care costs keep rising, and the changes necessary to reverse that trend.
The Affordable Care Act, six years on—its unanticipated effects on the health
care system, and why the exchanges are at risk of failing.
How "Repeal and Replace" could set the stage for a meltdown of the US healthcare system.
The prescription for the cure—seven areas where decisive action is needed to create a more sustainable model for health care.
"The US health care system is a product of who we are and what we are as a country," Ron Howrigon writes. FLATLINING: HOW HEALTH CARE COULD KILL THE US ECONOMY offers a cleared-eyed look at how health care system got to where it is today, and the critical decisions that will be needed to ensure its sustainability in the future.
Ron Howrigon is President and Founder of Fulcrum Strategies. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Western Michigan University and a Master's in Economics from North Carolina State University, focusing in the area of Health Economics. Ron has 18 years' experience in the managed care industry as a negotiator and network manager, and has held senior management level positions with three of the largest managed care companies. In 2004, he founded Fulcrum Strategies to provide contract negotiation services to physicians across the country. The company has grown into offering consulting services including marketing, strategic planning, merger and speaking services to physicians and other related companies.