Report: Most Doctors Not Flooded With New, Sicker Patients Under ACA
The notion that expanded coverage under the Affordable Care Act would overwhelm physicians has not been borne out, according to a report by athenahealth, the Watertown, Mass.-based electronic record provider.
Politico Pro:
Report: Doctors Not Seeing ACA Patient Spike
Predictions that expanded coverage through the ACA would flood physicians’ offices with new and sick patients haven’t come true yet, according to a report released Wednesday by athenahealth. (Villacorta, 3/25)
Modern Healthcare:
Patient Load Manageable Under ACA
Physician practices have largely not been overwhelmed since the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate went into effect last year, contrary to concerns raised by ACA critics about the potential flood of new patients the law would bring. (Rubenfire, 3/25)
Meanwhile, the future of an ACA-funded program to bolster the number of primary care physicians in underserved areas is in question -
The New York Times:
Amid Affordable Care Act Fight, A Health Center Program Struggles To Stay Alive
Dr. Savita Gopal, a 27-year-old resident physician at the Family Health Center of Harlem, sat in front of a computer last Thursday, peppering Jacob Doble, a 10-year-old from Harlem, with questions for 20 minutes. ... Dr. Gopal’s residency is supposed to last three years, but its future is uncertain. Her training is paid for by a provision of the Affordable Care Act called the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education program, which is up for renewal this year. The program has allocated $230 million nationwide over five years to try to tackle a worsening shortage of primary care physicians and draw eager young doctors to places where they are sorely needed. (Slotnik, 3/25)
