Welcome to the latest edition of Cast & Hue’s Five on Friday newsletter. Each Friday, we deliver a quick summary of five items of note associated with the evolving healthcare consumer, strategy and marketing. We hope you find it interesting and useful!

Helping Primary Care Doctors Contain Costs

Harvard Business Review

As much of the discussion on price transparency centers on the patient, the role physicians play in controlling healthcare costs sometimes takes a back seat. However, the reality is that the actions taken by physicians can have a huge impact on the costs of care. With this in mind, Kaiser Permanente developed an affordability tool to help their primary care physicians better understand the healthcare expenditures of their patients. Read on to learn more about the tool and its early results.

 

Predicting 2016 Part 1: The Most Important Trends in Healthcare

Sitewire Health In the first part of our two-part 2016 healthcare preview, we hear from six healthcare leaders about what they believe will shape healthcare in 2016. With insights ranging from thoughts on all of the mergers in healthcare, to prescription drug prices to price transparency on hospital web sites, we cover a lot of bases in this episode. Andy Gradel of Main Line Health, Bill Bodnar of The Leader’s Board, Paul Szablowski of Texas Health Resources, Erinne Dyer of Envera Health, Nick Adkins of ReelDX and author and Forbes Columnist Dan Munro join Steve and Russ to look forward to 2016. This episode is definitely packed full of insights – click here to download and listen.

Flurry of Healthcare Acquisitions and Agreements Announced

HealthLeaders Media

Merger mania continues as several new high profile health system mergers have been announced for 2016. With new mergers occurring left and right, it seems consolidation is the name  of the game moving forward into the new year. John Commons, for HealthLeaders Media, shares the nitty gritty details of each merger, which ones are particularly of note, and what to expect for healthcare in 2016 as a result of these mergers.

30 Under 30: Meet the Entrepreneurs Who Are Fixing the Healthcare System

Forbes

Change in healthcare is happening at an astonishing pace as we head into 2016. Startups come and go, billions are invested, and the healthcare machine continues to move forward. This article and gallery by Sarah Hedgecock and Matthew Herper showcases the young leaders on the forefront of healthcare innovation. Meet the Forbes 30 under 30 members who are poised to set the latest trends in healthcare.

Even Insured Can Face Crushing Medical Debt, Study Finds

The New York Times

Even though the number of uninsured Americans has decreased by an estimated 15 million in the last three years, many are still struggling with medical bills.  High deductibles can lead to hundreds or thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs for patients. While much of the conversation around high deductible health plans has focused on patients putting off care because they couldn’t afford it, this new study highlights the effects high deductible medical plans have on people’s everyday lives. For example, the study shows that among those who have had trouble paying for their healthcare bills, 63% have used up all or most of their savings, while 42% took on an extra job or worked more hours.

That is it for this week. We hope you find value in this newsletter and invite you to share your thoughts in the comments section.