Call Tomorrow @ 10am | Labor, Inflation, De-Factor Deregulation: 3Q Earnings Policy Recap

Earnings for 3Q 2021 will probably be remembered as the point where the signs that the entire health care sector was not likely to snap back to "normal." were first evident. Certainly, parts of it appear more vital and busy than ever. Ambulatory Care Services, which is comprised of mostly physicians' offices, now employ more people than it did before the pandemic. Services that are generally dominated by commercial insurance, like maternity, also appear to be functioning as before.

However, labor disruption continues with its havoc. Throughput at hospitals remains lower than pre-pandemic levels, especially in scheduled procedures like orthopedics. Supply shortages, especially for medical devices, also remains a concern with no end in sight. High acuity, for diseases like cancer, with their long treatment regimes, continue. That portion of the industry supported by government pay are in a particularly precarious position.

On the other side of that sad coin are investments in capital equipment, like robotics, and in data analytics and efficiency efforts which are likely to transform the industry. In fact, some providers may just be implicitly rejecting the notion that all eyes should turn to Washington for suggestions on innovation.

All the major industry influencers told their story of these and other things in the last few weeks, not all of them to be believed.

Please join us and be sure to send in questions and suggestion of topics.