Many healthcare providers are seeing an increase in patients due to ObamaCare.
Large health employers such as hospitals are faring well with the increase, due to their many resources. Small health providers are having a more difficult time.
Dr. Sven Jonsson, a primary care physician in a rural community, is seeing a steady tide of new patients under President Obama’s health care law, the Affordable Care Act or ObamaCare.
“This is just a much saner place for me right now,” said Dr. Jonsson, 52, who left private practice to work for the system, Baptist Health, in 2012. “I’m probably going to live another five years.”
Other smaller health providers, however, are worried. With many new regulations and payment methods, small providers may not have the manpower to keep up with the increase patient demands.
Only about 40% of family doctors and pediatricians remain independent according to the American Medical Society. Article
Doctors are implementing many strategies to deal with the increase in patients:
- Implementing electronic medical records to help manage the increase in information.
- Adding nurse practitioners or physician assistants to handle some of the patient load.
- Adding additional physicians to the practice.
- Outsourcing some of their normal functions to free up staff time.
Tell us what strategies your practice is using in 2014 to accommodate the increase in patients? Share your ideas with us by clicking on the comment button below. We’d love to hear from you.
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