Four Key Healthcare Markets Poised to Make it Big in 2013

Bruce Jepsen over at Forbes.com isn’t seeing the dire healthcare landscape many others are seeing. In this piece, rather than focusing on political infighting about raising the age of Medicare and just who should be taxed at what rates, Jepsen instead focuses on the four key healthcare markets poised to take advantage of the Healthcare New Normal.

1. Pharmacies and retailers that sell drugs and offer outpatient medical care service.

Using Walgreens as his main thesis, Japsen says, “[Pharmacies and retailers] are pushing further beyond just having pharmacists fill prescriptions to providing flu shots and hiring advanced-degree nurses to do physicals and wellness exams.”

2. Urgent care centers.

“Urgent care and immediate care centers offer more service than retailers and are generally staffed by physicians and offer X-rays and certain tests unavailable at a retail setting.”

3. Hospital operators.

“Though most large hospital operators that dominate the health care landscape are tax-exempt and not-for-profit like Intermountain Healthcare, Geisinger Health System and Kaiser Permanente, their investor-owned rivals like HCA Holdings (HCA); Tenet Healthcare (THC) and Vanguard Health Systems (VHS) are also poised to take advantage of this consolidation trend sweeping the country.”

4. Health insurance companies.

“Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans, such as those owned by Wellpoint (WLP) and its Anthem subsidiary as well as UnitedHealth Group (UNH) and Aetna (AET) are expected to offer products to both individuals and small businesses on online marketplaces known as exchanges that will begin providing health benefits a year from now.”