As we look at 2017, several questions start to garner attention. Here are five.
1. Will certain provisions of the Stark Law be repealed? If so, will this include the prohibitions on physicians' ownership of new hospitals? These provisions were added as part of the ACA and left the physician-owned hospital industry at a standstill.
2. Will the Republicans be able to please their constituents with repeal without gutting the provisions in the ACA related to protections for pre-existing conditions? These protections are extremely popular among Democrats and Republicans alike.
3. Will the Republicans be able to please their core constituents on abortion issues without severely isolating the party from a wide range of voters — Democratic, Republican or other — who hold different views on the issue?
4. Will changes in the ACA cut big holes in state budgets? Of the 20 million newly insured, 16 million are via Medicaid. Thus changes in Medicaid coverage or subsidies to states can leave states in spots where they still provide coverage but do not receive the federal funds to support it.
5. Will the disruptive nature of change have a slowdown effect on health system strategy? I.e., will systems move slowly on strategy and expansion given the uncertainty of the ACA?
Please email sbecker@beckershealthcare.com or mgamble@beckershealthcare.com with comments or added questions.