Healthcare investing trends in 2009 and beyond will be affected by the new administration's plans for healthcare reform, which are summarized at the Change.gov website. A key feature of the plan is making health insurance coverage possible for all Americans using the existing network of insurers and providers. The plan relies on tax credits for small businesses and eligible individuals to help pay the cost of health insurance premiums. Also, large employers which do not offer health insurance benefits would be required to contribute a percentage of their payroll toward the cost of healthcare for their employees.

Insurance companies would be required to cover pre-existing conditions and the insurance market will be reformed to eliminate anti-competitive practices, including the creation of a National Health Insurance Exchange with a variety of affordable health insurance options. Investments in health information technology (Health IT) will be made to encourage e-prescribing and electronic recordkeeping to reduce the incidence of medical errors and encourage the portability of health information.

The plan would also promote the use of generic drugs through increased substitution rates for higher cost brand names where feasible and prevent lawsuits which delay or block competition from generics.