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The article discusses the report "Best Care at Lower Cost: The Path to Continuously Learning Health Care in America," written by Committee on the Learning Health Care System on initiation of the Institute of Medicine (IOM). It is informed that the report discusses how new technologies, innovations, and approaches can help in overcoming various challenges faced by the healthcare industry in the U.S.

The article discusses the importance of healthcare cost transparency for patients and healthcare providers in the U.S. The factors that make price transparency difficult to achieve are cited including the complexity and quantity of contracts involved in the health insurance industry and the lack of insurance competition. The increase in the number of companies that offer healthcare pricing analysis tools due to the growing demand for data on price transparency is also mentioned.

The article reviews several websites related to physician ratings which include HealthGrades, ZocDoc and Consumer Reports (CR).

Information about a two-day forum sponsored by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) on the importance of value of health care is presented. The forum helps the provides on how to create strategies to increase the value of care they deliver to patients. It was led by directors Kevin J. Bozic and Anthony M. DiGioia.

The article discusses the court case Halbig v. Burwell on whether the U.S. Affordable Care Act (ACA) granted the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) the power to provide health insurance subsidies through tax credits. The Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled on July 22, 2014 striking down federal subsidies for insurance plans purchased on federally operated health exchanges. It notes the contradictory rulings issued by lower courts to be heard by the Supreme Court.

The article focuses on major changes in the healthcare industry in 2013 in the U.S., prior to the full implementation of the coverage expansions, established by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), in 2014. It discusses several new taxes, including a medical device excise tax which will have an impact on orthopaedic surgery, changes in Medicaid and Medicare, and plans on the design and operation of health insurance exchanges.