Almost Family - Competitors

Almost Family Competition

Now Viewing Almost Family's competition in: Healthcare Sector

Recent Developments

Growth in Medical Tourism Addressed - The American Medical Association (AMA) recently addressed medical tourism, an increasingly popular healthcare trend in the US, by suggesting guidelines that the organization hopes will set the national tone for discussion of the issue. Medical tourism is when people travel outside the US for medical care, which for many procedures is less expensive. According to the AMA, lack of insurance coverage is causing more people to become medical tourists, with significant potential impact for all areas of the healthcare industry.

Costs for Employers to Rise Again - Healthcare costs for US employers are set to rise again, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). In 2008, costs will rise 9.9 percent compared to 2007, and in 2009, will jump another 9.6 percent. According to PwC, the costs are due primarily to the addition of services and facilities at major hospitals, and the increasing cost of uninsured Americans, which raises costs systemwide.

Pharmaceutical Giveaways Scrutinized - The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) recently spoke out against promotional items given to doctors as part of marketing efforts by major drug companies. Though voluntary, several major drug companies publicly support PhRMA's new guidelines, which prohibit items such as pens and expensive dinners. PhRMA wants all future giveaway items to focus only on education about specific products.

Competitive Landscape

Although a large majority of hospitals are operated by nonprofits, most doctor offices, nursing homes, insurers, and manufacturers of medical products are for-profit entities. The industry is one of the few in the US with large participation from the government, both as a direct-care provider through the Department of Veterans Affairs and other hospitals and clinics, and as an operator of health insurance and other payment programs like Medicare and Medicaid.

Full Industry Overview For Healthcare Sector

Healthcare Sector Industry Forecast

from Hoover's/D&B subsidiary First Research

The US output for healthcare, a sector that includes physicians, dentists, other professional medical services, hospitals, home healthcare, and nursing homes, are forecast to grow at an annual compounded rate of 6.6 percent between

Strong Steady Growth on Healthcare

First Research forecasts are based on INFORUM forecasts that are licensed from the Interindustry Economic Research Fund, Inc. (IERF) in College Park, MD. INFORUM's "interindustry-macro" approach to modeling the economy captures the links between industries and the aggregate economy.