IPC The Hospitalist Company - Competitors

IPC The Hospitalist Company Competition

Now Viewing IPC The Hospitalist Company's competition in: Healthcare Sector

Recent Developments

More have Trouble Paying Medical Bills - More people are having problems paying medical bills, according to the Center for Studying Health System Change. About 19.4 percent of 18,000 people surveyed in 2007 report having problems paying medical bills, up from 15.1 percent in 2003. The difficulty is spreading from uninsured and low-income populations to insured middle class families.

Employee Wellness Programs get Makeover - Many employee wellness programs fail because they offer the wrong incentives, with inadequate coaching and guidance and without clear goals, according to Modern Healthcare. Companies create employee wellness programs to reduce rising healthcare costs and achieve better health outcomes and productivity, but poor results have many companies rethinking their programs. More focus is being put on individual counseling and penalties for unhealthy workers.

Medical School Enrollment Grows - Enrollment at US medical schools rose 2 percent in 2008 compared to 2007, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. Total enrollment reached a record of over 18,000 students. The number of applicants to medical schools leveled in 2008 after increasing for five straight years.

Competitive Landscape

Demand for healthcare services is driven by demographics and advances in medical care and technology. The profitability of individual companies depends on efficient operations and, in the case of many nonprofit healthcare providers, obtaining grants and federal funds. Large companies have advantages in accessing the latest medical research, buying supplies, offering a wide range of services, and negotiating contracts with health insurers. Small institutions can compete successfully by serving a limited geographical area, offering specialized services, or building a local reputation for quality care. Healthcare is labor-intensive: annual revenue per employee is $80,000. Revenue per employee is nearly $100,000 for ambulatory services and hospitals, and only around $45,000 for nursing homes, residential care facilities, and social assistance providers.

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.