Doctors Say Affordable Care Act Increasing Cost of Healthcare

ATLANTA, June 25, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- On the eve of a major U.S. Supreme Court ruling that could impact the future of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a new survey of American physicians finds doctors believe it is driving up the cost of healthcare.

Sixty-one percent of physicians reported an increase in overhead costs for items such as electronic medical records and administrative costs to comply with the ACA.

And they reported it is hurting the doctor-patient relationship as 60 percent reported more administrative work due to the law, resulting in less time with patients.

The law is also costing patients more, doctors say. Fifty-one percent of patients are delaying routine screenings because of the cost of high-deductible plans associated with the ACA, the survey found.

"The ACA had good intentions but failed to solve the major problem with healthcare – reducing costs," said Richard L. Jackson, chairman and CEO of Jackson Healthcare. "If we don't do something about costs – no matter how the Supreme Court rules – then we are just rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic."

Jackson Healthcare, the nation's third largest healthcare staffing company, asked 1,804 doctors across the U.S. about the health reform law in a survey from late May to mid-June. Fifty-nine percent of the doctors said the law's positive effects did not outweigh negative effects when it comes to their medical practice.

In the national survey, 23 percent of physicians said they were either retiring, thinking of retiring or becoming part-time locum tenens/contract employee in 2015. Ninety percent of those attributed that decision to the ACA.

"Doctors are distracted from taking care of their patients with unnecessary paperwork, regulations and expenses," Jackson said.

Doctors did say that the law aid patients by covering pre-existing conditions and providing routine medical screenings.

The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule before June 30 whether federal subsidies to citizens who bought ACA plans in states that did not set up their own health insurance exchanges or marketplaces is legitimate under the law. If not, an estimated four million people who bought such plans could lose their subsidies. If the subsidies are vacated, other pieces of the law could fall with it including the employer mandate to provide insurance coverage.

Sixty-seven percent of physicians said they accepting insurance plans sold in the exchange, according to the Jackson survey conducted May 22 to June 15. Such plans are known to pay less than traditional insurance and in line with Medicaid.

Methodology

A total of 1,352 doctors completed the Jackson survey. The error range for this survey was +/-1.3 percent at the 95 percent confidence level.

About Jackson Healthcare 

Atlanta-based Jackson Healthcare is one of the largest healthcare staffing companies in the U.S., serving more than seven million patients in over 1,300 healthcare facilities. The company also provides hospitals with logistical solutions to patient throughput and systemic operational efficiency. Jackson has earned national media coverage by providing innovative solutions to healthcare problems, in addition to championing local, national and international charitable work. Atlanta Business Chronicle named Jackson Healthcare the city's "Best Place to Work" in 2014 and "Healthiest Large Company" in 2015. Visit JacksonHealthcare.com to learn more.

SOURCE Jackson Healthcare

Related Links

http://www.jacksonhealthcare.com