Interview, Fireside Chat
Ross DeVol interviews Paul Kusserow of Humana
- Humana plans to provide alternative site care for members following Concentra's closure in December and intends to integrate an acquired Vitality wellness program featuring health status data and reward systems for commercial members.
- Global demographic shifts over the next 50 years include a 2 billion population increase driven by a 1.2 billion rise in those over 60, while the under-5 demographic will decline by approximately 50 million over the next 40 years.
- Health care reform is expected to introduce a new population segment, creating demand that will likely drive price increases and necessitate cost containment through technology-enabled services.
- A physician shortage is projected where insufficient access rises from 10% to 20% of the population by 2020, requiring Humana to recruit 130,000 additional doctors to meet demand.
- To address workforce gaps, Humana will prioritize deploying nurses and alternative care providers who are empowered to lead teams, utilize telemedicine tools, and increase daily call volumes from four to six to 20 through digital interfaces.
- Future strategies involve leveraging sensors and algorithms to track daily routines and detect deviations, enabling caregivers and family members to intervene early and prevent hospital admissions.
- Electronic medical records are expected to improve efficiency by enhancing data accessibility to prevent redundant testing, while care models will focus on medication management and social support networks.
- The outlook indicates that relying solely on technology or pure service will fail, as technology without service is ineffective and service alone is prohibitively expensive due to supply constraints.