The annual Presidential address is too important to ignore, while trying to predict the directions of the healthcare industry in 2006. Yet, the expectations have been raised higher than what was announced.

The media led us to believe that healthcare will be the main theme of this SOTU. Consider this CNN headline: "State of the Union address will focus on health care frustrations". Yet the President spent only a few minutes talking about health care. To hear him every other problem is just as important. Iraq. Iran. Hamas. Human Cloning. Energy. Budget. Immigration. Corruption. Katrina. FEMA.

Moreover, no trully new ideas have been announced on health care. HSAs, tax breaks, health IT, liability caps and association health plans have been talked about for awhile. The political calculus has not changed on any of those issues. So what can we expect this year?

Probably nothing. Many commentators called this State of the Union a "laundry list". We will have to wait a few more months to see what the President and the Congress regard as really important to act upon.

UPDATE: Joe Paduda has more on why President's health care initiatives stand little chance of gaining traction this year.