Cisco's Case for Service Providers as Tourniquet for Hemorrhaging Health System

We all know that creative solutions to our burgeoning healthcare costs are needed — and quickly. In 2011, Americans spent approximately $2.64 trillion on healthcare, nearly 18 percent of the annual GDP. This staggering expenditure is a growing concern to governments, insurers, and medical professionals. Further, over the next 30-plus years, demand for healthcare will be compounded, as the population that consumes the most significant share — those over 65 — is projected to double in size.

While uncertainty about the status of healthcare reform hangs over the healthcare field like a black cloud, there are persistent glimmers of sunshine in the form of emerging incentives for providers and insurers to contain costs. Technology can play a key role in delivering critical opportunities for these much-needed cost savings...