There was a lot of nervousness last week about the announcement that Amazon and some financial heavyweights are now – after a few years of speculation – officially entering the healthcare space. A broad intention to lower healthcare costs and improve outcomes was stated, but without any deeper details. Those two goals are certainly worthwhile, but getting there will be difficult and likely require legislative changes that are still far from certain. These articles offer good, nuanced explanations about what the road ahead might really look like. And the end of that road just might look like a unicorn, with or without the accompanying rainbow.
#1: Amazon, JPMorgan Chase and Berkshire Hathaway Pursue the Health Care 'Unicorn' Scott Hensley – NPR
#2: The fog around the new health care mega-venture Bob Herman - AXIOS
#3: What to make of Amazon and Warren Buffett’s mystery health care project
Dylan Scott – VOX
#4: Warren Buffett has been speaking out about the cost of healthcare for years — and it could hint at what’s to come with a new health venture Lydia Ramsey – Business Insider
So what happens next?
If you read through the articles above, it's obvious that most everything right now is speculation. However, I look to the announcement press release for clues. One thing is clear, finding that unicorn won't be easy or fast (emphasis mine):
"Hard as it might be, reducing healthcare’s burden on the economy while improving outcomes for employees and their families would be worth the effort. Success is going to require talented experts, a beginner’s mind, and a long-term orientation."