Looking ahead to 2021, I am expecting an improvement from 2020.  I know that is not saying much, but there are a lot of crazy dynamics at play in the healthcare industry and the economy as a whole, so it’s very hard to say what to expect, except a lot of change.  That said, here’s what I am watching for in the year to come:

COVID-19 has made healthcare policy the hot topic of the 2020 election. As healthcare public relations professionals, it’s always top of mind for us and our clients. We’ve got two very different candidates heading into the November election: President Donald Trump (R) and former Vice President Joe Biden (D). Let’s take a look at how they match up on key issues:

Earlier this week, the Supreme Court heard arguments regarding the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), aka Obamacare, which could have a major impact on the U.S. healthcare system. While the ACA has faced many legal challenges and Congress has made numerous attempts to repeal it since its passage in 2010, the current case before the Supreme Court is the closest it has come to being completely overturned.

It has been a whirlwind few weeks in the healthcare industry (and the whole country) between the resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 presidential election. However, we shouldn’t let this news totally overshadow another important headline in the health IT space: “ONC pushes back compliance dates for info-blocking rule.”

The change of administration resulting from the November election will surely have big implications for the healthcare industry.  Just how big remains to be seen, as Georgia’s two Senate seats and the fate of the Senate majority remain in question.  With or without the Senate, the Biden administration will have a very different agenda than the previous administration with regard to the future of the ACA, pharmaceutical pricing, and many other issues at hand for the US healthcare system.