Hospitals/Health Systems
Trends signal future problems for hospitals
A recent Fortune 500 research report for hospital CEOs on the state of hospitals in America concludes there are five dangerous trends facing hospitals today. The issues are bottom-line performance, medical center competition and medical tourism, public confidence, staff satisfaction and medical malpractice. Experts predict an estimated shortage of 150,000-200,000 beds nationwide by 2012 because of profitability issues.

Financial
Fraud alerts need for awareness
With the rise of online and identity fraud, the more security and information a financial institution can provide its customers, the more confidence and trust customers will have with that company. Experts from BTS, a consortium of the largest financial institutions in the United States, agree that losing consumer confidence in online banking and eCommerce can be a greater risk for financial companies than losses from actual fraud.

Managed Care
HSAs trend calls for consumer education
It’s a fact that health savings accounts (HSAs) and high-deductible health plans are a growing trend for many employers and workers in the United States. Results from a health insurance study, conducted by America’s Health Insurance Plans, show that the number of HSA enrollees has grown to more than 3 million — tripling in the last 10 months.

Insurance
Life changes create policy opportunities
A recent national survey by Trusted Choice® agencies found that at least 32 million United States households own insurance policies that aren’t right for them. Policies can be greatly affected by major purchases such as extensive home renovations or lifestyle changes such as divorce or retirement. This provides insurance agencies excellent opportunities for connecting with their customers.

Cable
New bundle option is already in demand
Although still in its infancy, the cable quadruple play is growing up fast. Wireless service joining video, voice and data services, aptly termed the cable quad-play, already has a strong demand. Market research firm Parks Associates predicts that by 2010, 55 percent of United States broadband households will subscribe to a triple-play or quadruple-play bundle. Revenues from bundled services like these are expected to reach nearly $120 billion.