Consumer choice is becoming more prevalent because either employers are not covering as many of the healthcare needs of their employees, or some employers are no longer covering their employees at all. With federal and private exchanges, the landscape of how people are acquiring healthcare has changed significantly. People are now forced to make a choice in what plan to buy, and they’re generally not well informed. People know how to buy a car, but buying a healthcare plan is very different. You have to know what network it covers and what the deductibles are. Some consumers are buying plans based on price alone, without realizing they have high deductibles or a narrow network. Whether you go through a private or federal exchange, you have to be mindful of what you’re buying. You may not realize the deductibles could end up being thousands of dollars. There needs to be a lot more education. Private exchanges will continue to grow, and time will tell how well that works. It will be interesting to see how the acquisition of healthcare plans change for consumers, based on availability, price and network. As Baptist Health grows and evolves, so does our patient profile. Because some of our technology and services are unique to the area, we collaborate with other healthcare organizations, such as children’s hospitals, to provide services. In Latin America, there are few similar facilities so we communicate our capabilities to doctors there, and they refer patients when necessary. For example, we recently had more than 100 doctors from Latin America present as we opened the doors of our Miami Cancer Institute. We hosted a series of lectures to familiarize them with the Institute and let them know how we can work together. One of our special services in the area of medical tourism is the focus on continuity of care. After patients leave us and return to their home cities, we connect with their local physician to ensure the care loop is closed.

What is the potential for telemedicine in South Florida?

I think the potential for telemedicine is tremendous. We have such a lack of primary care physicians here. If you need to go to the doctor right away, many times you can’t get an immediate appointment. Telemedicine would provide us with instant access to a network of doctors and allow employees to get their prescriptions without having to leave work, thus minimizing absenteeism. However, there is still a barrier to entry. We need to continue educating both doctors and patients on the benefits to ensure the concept takes hold.

What are the challenges in educating people about personal responsibility in using their healthcare insurance?

One of our biggest challenges is at the C-level. Executives look at their employee benefits as a costly line item as opposed to something crucial for their employees. Critical information is lost when using web portals as the whole landscape of healthcare is challenging. We have found that the employers that really believe in and care about their employees have less turnover and fewer claims.

How competitive is the health insurance market?

Miami has always been known as one of the most competitive and expensive insurance markets in the country. One of the reasons why is because the population has historically been on the older side. However, our population is getting younger and over the next decade, we will see a reduction in the average age. If we continue the wellness journey, people of all ages will be healthier and this will enable healthcare costs to come down, and continue the availability of affordable health insurance coverage. Another thing to consider is if in fact the ACA is repealed, this will allow insurance companies to sell across state lines, increase competition among each other and lower cost for both employers and employees.

How was the demand for medical supplies in Miami-Dade in 2016?

The demographics in South Florida are compelling. Baby-boomers are aging, the population is living longer, and that translates to an increasing need for medical care and medical supplies. Demand continues to grow. We’re seeing mid to high single digit growth in our local economy. Nationally, access to quality medical care, products and services has been a bigger problem than it has been in Miami.

How do you address these challenges?

There is a major shift in the delivery of healthcare from traditional in-hospital care to alternative settings as patients start to exercise choice, and as insurance providers look to squeeze cost out of the system. Procedures are moving out of hospitals to surgery centers as more surgeries occur on an outpatient basis. Care is moving more to patient homes and physician offices and out of emergency rooms. The big move in the supply world for us is how to meet that challenge. In 2012, we acquired a company that focuses specifically on physician offices and surgery centers. We have a focus on investing in our e-commerce capabilities for all our clients. Supplies that normally would have only been consumed at a hospital or surgery-level are made publicly available to people accessing care in their homes with family members or other caregivers supporting the administration of those supplies.

What will be the main growth drivers in 2017?

There is no question that the move outside of hospital settings will continue. The question is what will happen to the access points that were provided through the Affordable Care Act. Will they go away? If they do, what will they be replaced with? Will care move backwards for those that are uninsured, will they no longer have access? These are the big questions for us. We’ve heard repeal, l and replace. Changing things rapidly is a relative term on the insurance bearer side.

While South Florida, like the state as a whole, has in past generations been known as a retirement hub, the changing wants and needs of the baby boomers is recalibrating what it means to age in ways that should cause all of us to rethink everything related to aging. South Florida in particular brings a unique mix of cultures as the “Gateway to the Americas.” As a membership organization, AARP is intent on finding ways to connect with the very diverse audiences within the market, and to do that, we must find innovative ways to engage locally. While the AARP Foundation has partnered with the Miami Dolphins to raise awareness about the realities that economically vulnerable elders face, the primary issues – adequate and affordable housing, financial stability, adequate nutrition, and connection to the broader community – extend to a much broader swath of South Florida. AARP Florida is focused on working with allies in the for-profit, non-profit, academic, governmental and philanthropic areas in South Florida who have joined the World Health Organization/AARP Age Friendly Network of Communities. This is a network to identify what communities in the region are doing well and how to improve livability for people of all ages and economic circumstances. Our focus is to identify the needs of members in the community as a whole, so we can meet in ways that empower them to choose how they live as they age. For some, that comes through our advocacy and for others, it comes through the opportunities to learn and grow that we offer and for some it’s through the products and services that AARP Services works with providers to offer. The key opportunity for us is to identify in this diverse market the needs that aren’t being met in our current value proposition and innovate new solutions that are consistent with our values. AARP Florida works with organizations on a variety of education, outreach and advocacy efforts, for which we share common goals, including for-profit companies as well as non-profit agencies and associations.