We see our role as complementary to the established infrastructure.

MinuteClinic CEO Andrew Sussman on the company’s new chronic care monitoring services.

In a healthcare delivery world where providers strive to be the “provider of all services” for a patient, it’s interesting to watch a niche deliverer innovate.

We know chronic disease consumes the majority of this nation’s annual healthcare spend, yet to traditional providers those patients represent real revenue and so we see a lack of significant investment in opportunities to reduce those spent dollars.

Too interested in the now are we? Yes. Though it’s difficult to predict what, in fact, will produce third-party payer reimbursement ten years from now, it’s a decently safe bet that reducing the cost of providing care will play a (huuuuuge) part. Because after healthcare reform “only” slightly reduces (or, the real possibility, increases) healthcare costs, guess what’s going to get attention?

The point of care. Where healthcare costs magically appear. Those organizations with real care continuity programs/service lines/business models (among others) will be rewarded.

UPDATE: Here is an article contrary to my above assertions. I think the operative words in my diatribe are “significant investment.”