New Paper Published on COVID-19 Pandemic issues in the United States
August 11, 2021
The CCA has published a new paper authored by Edward M. Pudlowski, FCA, ASA, MAAA, titled: US Health Care in the Aftermath of the COVID-19 Pandemic. This article attempts to outline the major changes that are expected in the US healthcare system in 2021 and 2022, beyond the challenge of predicting the cost of testing the population and treating infected patients.
This includes:
- the return of the utilization to pre-pandemic levels and recoupment of deferred services
- increased use of technology
- mental health implications due to the pandemic and social isolation
- behavioral changes
- long-term effects of the lack of chronic condition management
- COVID-19 patients suffering long-term effects from the virus
- provider reaction to lost revenue
- healthcare worker stress, and mitigation efforts to control the spread of the disease among staff and patients
This article is a guide for actuaries and other professionals for their consideration as they attempt to predict the direction and level of healthcare costs.