Leaders from across Sheppard Mullin’s national healthcare team gathered in Dana Point, California, for a day-long strategy session led by Co-Leaders, Eric Klein and Amanda Zablocki, to discuss the most impactful trends shaping the future of healthcare and how to best support our clients.
We observed that the healthcare system in the United States is facing unsustainable costs and yet it is also on the precipice of incredible transformation. Sitting at the center of all this turbulence is a legal, political, and regulatory landscape that is poised for disruption.
In 2024, U.S. healthcare spending reached $5.3 trillion. It is now projected to climb to $8.6 trillion by 2033, ultimately accounting for more than a fifth of the GDP. We dissected the key drivers of these costs and what we anticipate the healthcare industry may do to address them:
Perhaps more interesting than the individual trends is the interplay between healthcare trends (prevalence of disease, effectiveness of interventions, longevity, comorbidity), supply chain margin pressures, technological advancements, and continued market concentration. The consensus is clear: success for clients requires nuanced legal counsel informed by the full complexity of industry and regulatory dynamics.
As always, we stand ready to help clients navigate the shifting healthcare terrain, whether responding to cost pressures, regulatory changes, technology adoption, or new models of care and coverage.