Critical Question #3

As healthcare reform advances, what resources will help me understand its implications?

With the passages of the Affordable Care Act earlier this year and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in 2009, important changes are already reshaping the health care industry – with more significant modifications yet to come. A bigger pool of insured patients is guaranteed, as are new requirements around electronic billing and health information records, quality-of-care review standards, and an expansion of Medicaid coverage.

In this new, more complex and competitive environment, health care decision makers will need informed and trusted resources to answer these questions. Here are several reliable sources to answer important questions about the impact from business and patient perspectives:

• How will we meet the new “meaningful use” requirements?

• What health information technology updates will we need to make?

• What will the Value-Based Purchasing program mean for our pharmacy?

• How can we be sure we are ready to meet the needs of the increased number of Medicaid-covered patients?

BoP Perspective

Your pharmacy plays a vital role in your hospital’s dedication to patient care outcomes and represents a major IT investment. Being unaware of new processes, requirements, and measurements won’t just leave you behind the curve – it could leave your hospital vulnerable to inferior patient care rankings and even financial penalties.

McKesson can partner with your hospital to understand, navigate, and achieve in:

• Transforming your hospital’s IT environment with Achieve HIT

• Identifying efficiencies in pharmacy financial management and quality outcomes through Pharmacy Optimization Consulting

• Implementing integrated web-based procurement tools to improve pharmacy operations with McKesson Connect

• Gaining control over your inventory investment with Pharmacy Asset Management

The world of complexity and competition is where McKesson works, and succeeds. Want proof? Just listen to our customers. No company can match McKesson’s track record when it comes to understanding the business of pharmacy and the technology that drives it – now and in the future.

For more information about the Affordable Care Act and its implications, visit these resources:

• A step-by-step timeline overview of the coming changes to health care in America

• Conversations on health care reform: John Hammergren of McKesson: McKesson’s chief executive discusses the business problem of delivering high-quality care to a growing population of patients. (free membership required)

Back to Question 2: Will healthcare reform make any difference with the challenges of uninsured patients?