A poll by the American College of Emergency Physicians has depicted an alarming increase in Emergency Room visits, both in urban as well as rural hospitals, ever since Obamacare came into effect. This is in complete contract to the expectations of policy makers, wherein they envisaged every US citizen under the care of a primary health physician.
The results of the poll, conducted on the emergency healthcare professionals, reveal that more than a quarter of the 2,000-plus respondents witnessed an increase in ER visitors in the last year, in contrast to fewer than half who reported increases in the previous year. 28 percent of the doctors reviewed, saw significant increases in volume, whereas 47 percent reported minor increases.
What was expected of Obamacare was to ease the burden on emergency rooms by getting more than 10 million people insured across the country, under the Affordable Care Act. The purpose it sought to meet was that such people who are insured would be able to seek aid at the early stages of any illness. They shall be able to do so through primary care physicians, thereby, eliminating the need to visit emergency healthcare doctors.
However, what has happened is the exact opposite. The major reason attributable to the current state of affairs is the paucity of primary care physicians to handle hoards of newly insured patients. The Federal Government projects this shortage at 20,000 doctors by 2020. Another reason is the unwillingness of physicians to accept Medicaid patients, owing to its low reimbursement rates. Even the 24*7 availability of aid in emergency rooms is a reason why people, who have less time, throng them.
Hospitals, nevertheless, are attempting to cope with this problem smartly. They have devised mechanisms wherein they connect patients to primary care physicians and also follow up on the medication they receive from the primary care doctor.
The results of the poll, conducted on the emergency healthcare professionals, reveal that more than a quarter of the 2,000-plus respondents witnessed an increase in ER visitors in the last year, in contrast to fewer than half who reported increases in the previous year. 28 percent of the doctors reviewed, saw significant increases in volume, whereas 47 percent reported minor increases.
What was expected of Obamacare was to ease the burden on emergency rooms by getting more than 10 million people insured across the country, under the Affordable Care Act. The purpose it sought to meet was that such people who are insured would be able to seek aid at the early stages of any illness. They shall be able to do so through primary care physicians, thereby, eliminating the need to visit emergency healthcare doctors.
However, what has happened is the exact opposite. The major reason attributable to the current state of affairs is the paucity of primary care physicians to handle hoards of newly insured patients. The Federal Government projects this shortage at 20,000 doctors by 2020. Another reason is the unwillingness of physicians to accept Medicaid patients, owing to its low reimbursement rates. Even the 24*7 availability of aid in emergency rooms is a reason why people, who have less time, throng them.
Hospitals, nevertheless, are attempting to cope with this problem smartly. They have devised mechanisms wherein they connect patients to primary care physicians and also follow up on the medication they receive from the primary care doctor.
via Smart Health Shop Forum http://ift.tt/1EN2VA2
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