Americans Will Have Insurance Coverage

The aim of the ACA is to provide affordable health care to all Americans, but it still leaves some issues unaddressed that will impact the access to health care. Covino (n.d.), “Though the intentions of the legislation are good, the Affordable Care Act does little to improve the actual health care delivery system” (para.1, page 2). According to the American Medical Association, we are facing an increasing Physician shortage. As of 2010 we faced a shortfall of 13,700 physicians, the estimate is that number will increase to 62,900 by 2015, 91,500 by 2020, and 130,600 by 2025 (Krupa, n.d.), with primary care taking the largest impact. Health Care coverage will be of no benefit if there are no doctors to treat the patients. An example of this occurred in 2002 when Thailand’s’ “30 Bhat Scheme” added (CNN n.d.) “14 million people to the country’s health care system, resulting in long waits and subpar service” (Your health is covered, but who is going to treat you?) Several factors contribute to the physician shortage. Many physicians are reaching the age of retirement, the Association of American Medical Colleges estimates nearly 15 million physicians will be eligible for Medicare in the coming years (CNN n.d.). The increasing cost of malpractice insurance also deters many from pursuing a career in medicine, and is forcing some doctors to retire. Also contributing to the physician shortage is a lack of spots in residency programs. “In 2011, more than 7,000 were left

Health care coverage for individuals and small businesses will become more affordable and accessible (House Committee, 2010). The bill erases deductibles and co-payments for preventive care. Due to the recession, many American families struggle to pay the co-payment at their doctor’s office. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act does offer money directly to the consumer by eliminating co-payments at the doctor’s office (House Committee, 2010). There will be incentives for doctors to practice in poor areas of the country. For example, a new doctor fresh out of medical school would receive additional federal funds to establish their business and hire qualified personnel (House Committee, 2010).

In a survey conducted in 2003, it highlighted that the recurrent problem is the reimbursement rate from Medicaid to the physician (O’Shea, 2007). The Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC) show that 21% of physicians that state they accept Medicaid have reported they will not accept a new Medicaid patient in 2004-2005(O’Shea, 2007). This number would only logically be assumed to have risen in 2013 A survey conducted by the U.S. National Health reported that researchers have found two standout trends among Medicaid beneficiaries: they have more difficulty getting primary care and specialty care and they visit hospital emergency departments more often than those with private insurance (Seaberg, 2012). The lack of primary and specialty care access is mostly contributed to the following barriers; unable to reach the MD by phone, not having a timely appointment with the MD and lastly unable to find a specialty MD that will accept Medicaid. In a recent report released by the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease, it stated that about 30% of Medicaid patients experience “extreme uncoordinated care”, there is a strong correlation between this situation and higher Medicaid spending and less quality of care given (Bush, 2012). After January 1st 2013, healthcare providers have experienced a 2% reduction in payments for Medicaid beneficiary, this will only create more of a problem for these patients to seek the

Such data suggests that rural areas were actually better off in terms of medical care prior to the enactment of the Affordable Care Act than they are now. Before ACA implementation, the rural population was significantly more likely to be covered by Medicaid (21%) or other public insurance (4%) than the metropolitan population (16% and 3%, respectively). Therefore, while urban individuals on average had more healthcare benefits due to the nature of their insurance provider, since Medicaid made up some of the gap in employer-sponsored coverage in rural areas, the uninsured rate was similar in rural and urbans populations prior to the ACA (Figure 2).

‘Some counties don't have certain types of doctors” (Leonard 2). If an individual only has one insurer that supports that area, that insurer may not cover that doctor or hospital in that area, which can result to that individual driving far out of their area, just so they can see a doctor or get their medical treatment for a reasonable price. Individuals are also being limited with options because their insurers may see them as costly, and they could force the individual to go to under resourced hospitals (Goodnough 3). This shows that even if an individual does not live in a rural area and has plenty of options to choose from, they can still be limited in location because their medical treatment can be seen as too expensive, and the insurance company has to figure out a way to save money.

Another threat is the current state of rural hospitals nationwide. According to the case study, about 25% of Americans live in rural areas and only about 10% of physicians actually practice in rural areas. There is a 15% gap in the ratio of rural citizens to available practicing physicians. This is a threat to ELH’s need to attract and hire more physicians. In relation to rural hospitals, citizens have longer drive times to their medical facilities. This causes them to delay routine visits which subsequently exacerbates

Lack of covered care leads the uninsured to local emergency rooms for varied health concerns. This issue will end up weakening the quality of care needed by individuals who are actually in need of emergency care because the care centers may become over populated and under staffed. In the US, there are fewer physicians per person than in most other OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries. A statement in an article written on PBS’ website, states “In 2010…the U.S. had 2.4 practicing physicians per 1,000 people- well below the OECD average of 3.1.”. Facts like these are quite unsettling, considering tax dollars are still being spent on high medical costs.

Arkansas ranks forty out of fifty-one on general health, but this could be in part because Arkansas also only spends about twenty-eight dollars of state expenditures per capita while the District of Columbia, in comparison, spends three hundred and ninety-eight dollars of state expenditures per capita (Statemaster par. 1). The United States has an average of 2.5 primary physicians for every group of one thousand people, however, Arkansas’ has an average of significantly less than one (The World Bank par.1). The University of Arkansas is quoted as saying, “by 2022, it’s estimated that 1,000,000 new jobs will be created in the health care field,” which is astounding considering the current gaps in the health care system that Arkansas is already living with (par. 3). It seems that health care education would be a simple

Communities across America face a shortage of doctors. At only 2.56 physicians per 1000 people, America ranks 23rd out of 28 nations reporting data on practicing physicians (Carroll). This shortage is expected to increase as the aging Baby Boomer generation is expected to contribute to a doctor shortage of up to 90,000 physicians by the year 2025 (Carroll). This shortage is most evident in rural areas and cities that are less popular to live in. As the need for doctors continues to increase, America is also producing fewer medical graduates. Out of 35 nations that report data on graduation rates in the medical field America ranks 30th (Carroll). The effect that doctor shortages will have on the health of American citizens will be detrimental. America cannot meet its demand for doctors without looking beyond its borders. The Good Neighbor Nextdoor program will bring the needed doctors in to communities in desperate need of medical

The Affordable Care Act set forth millions of dollars to address the problems and concerns that are associated with existing physicians shortages. The Affordable Care Act also has provisions that are aimed to improve the education, ongoing training as well as to help with the recruitment of nursing, physicians, doctors as well as other health care personnel. In addition, there are provisions in place that help to increase workforces’ cultural competency, enhance faculty training of healthcare professionals, and diversity. The provisions also play a vital role because of the fact they are put into place to examine innovative reimbursement and care delivery models that highlight primary care services value and offer in improvement in the patient care coordination.

In the next ten years I see many changes taking place in health care. The biggest changes I foresee are the availability and amount of health care providers, in rural and other areas that lack the adequate health care, will continue to drop and the price of health care will continue to rise. This may be a dreary outlook but that is where I know I, and other future PAs, can help! It is hard to draw many providers, specifically doctors, to small-town USA. There are not as many activities and not as diverse patient population as some urban areas can offer. Neither of those issues make a difference to me, or many other PAs, who often come from those small towns and are drawn back to them to provide the care they desperately need. The second huge

Though physician shortages are particularly evident in inner-city and rural communities, experts point to nationwide demographic, changes among baby boomer and their health care needs, as well as trends in medical school enrollment and specialization as factors. Shortages are most predominant in rural and inner city settings potentially creating serious consequences in patient care. Physician supply in rural areas is closely tied to the specialty mix of American physicians. Specialty has a powerful effect on physician’s location of choice for each of the major specialty groups. Family physicians distribute themselves in proportion to the population in both rural and urban locations and are the single

The long-term health improvement of the rural population through access to services, clinics, hospitals and doctors works as a reciprocal relationship with the economic health of the community (Rural Assistance Center, 2015). All rural communities are unique, and some have more access to health care services than others. When health services and professionals are available in a rural area, it can truly begin a process of expanding economic growth and development. The creation of jobs in the healthcare field, or in a business that supports the healthcare industry, improves the local economy (Rural Assistance Center, 2015). “Rural hospitals are often one of the largest employers in their community. They offer some of the best-paying jobs available in rural areas, bringing professionals to live and spend money in the community” (Rural Assistance Center, 2015). The creation of jobs within industries that support healthcare also thrive.

Hello Dr. Sanner and class. There are millions of people in the United States that live in rural areas. Some work on farms, ranches, and some are agricultural suppliers. These rural populations are more likely to be poorer, sicker, older, uninsured, and medically underserved than urban populations. With a population that is older, poorer, and with less employer-based health insurance coverage, a larger segment of the rural population is dependent upon public health care programs such as State Children’s Health Insurance Programs (SCHIP), Medicare and Medicaid. The health care infrastructure in much of these rural areas consist of a lot of small hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes, and often experience significant financial stress. Many rural

Every person should be able to obtain equal health care opportunities. However, even though a quarter of America’s population lives in rural areas, there are disparities between the amount of health care facilities and physicians to patients (National Rural Health Association, 2007-15). 62 million Americans do not have equal access to health care (Dunn, 2013). That is a lot of patients who are untreated or insufficiently treated and diagnosed. Of the 4,973 hospitals in America, only 35% serve rural areas as rural hospitals (Dunn, 2013). This statistic exemplifies how