Physicians Give ACA Improved Ratings in 2014

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Oct 14, 2014, 01:13 ET

DALLAS, Oct. 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- When asked to grade the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on a variety of objectives, physicians gave slightly better ratings for health reform this year as compared to last year, according to a recent survey.

The physician survey, conducted annually by The Medicus Firm physician search consultancy, also revealed that some skepticism still prevails for many members of the physician workforce.

ACA Earns Slightly Better Grades from Physicians in 2014

Fewer Physicians Give ACA a Failing Grade this Year

When asked to give the ACA an overall grade, the percentage of physicians who awarded A's edged up by a couple percentage points. However, the respondents who gave the ACA the highest grade, (A), remains a very small proportion, at 8.6 percent, up from 6.3 percent last year.

Conversely, the number of physicians giving the ACA a failing grade overall, (F), decreased significantly, from 30.2 percent in 2013, to 22.35 percent this year.

Physicians were also asked to rate the ACA on specific objectives, such as improving efficiency of healthcare, improving access to healthcare, improving quality of healthcare, and decreasing healthcare costs.

Best Grades Given for "Improving Access to Healthcare"

The best and most improved grades were awarded for "improving access to healthcare", with a resounding 23.4 percent giving the ACA an "A" in this objective, up from 11.8 percent last year. Additionally, 27.11 percent of physicians gave the ACA a "B" for improving healthcare access. Only 13.68 percent of respondents failed the ACA in this category, down from 23.6 percent who gave it an "F" last year for this objective.

The objective receiving the lowest grades was "improving efficiency of healthcare." However, even this category showed some improvement over last year. Only about 7 percent of physicians gave the ACA an "A" for improving efficiency, which is up slightly from 5.6 percent last year.

Furthermore, 29.73 percent of physicians gave the ACA an "F" for improving efficiency, which is down from 35.4 percent who gave it a failing grade in this category last year.

"Physicians seem to have become slightly more positive about the ACA compared to last year's survey. As of last year's survey, the ACA had not yet been fully implemented, although many aspects of the legislation were already in motion," states Jim Stone, president of The Medicus Firm.

"This year's survey was conducted after the ACA was in full effect for several months, and four years after its passage into law. Unfortunately, the grades on the whole are not very positive, so it's good that there is some improvement in physicians' perceptions of the effectiveness of the ACA."

The Medicus Firm regularly surveys physicians to gauge and report physicians' perspectives on issues such as health reform, because, as Stone states, "doctors are the ones actually providing the care in the reformed system, yet they had little to no say in how the ACA was designed or implemented."

"The ACA has been a game changer for many physicians' careers," Stone adds. "Not only are their careers and daily lives significantly impacted by this law, physicians are also on the front lines, seeing the effects of the ACA on patients, physicians, and the healthcare industry, for better or for worse," he concludes.

The physician practice preference survey is conducted annually by The Medicus Firm, and this year was the 11th annual edition, with responses from 2,272 physicians and advanced practice providers from 19 specialties and all 50 states responding in 2014.

About The Medicus Firm:

The Medicus Firm is a national healthcare recruiting firm based in Dallas, TX and Atlanta, GA. Since 2001, The Medicus Firm has provided permanent placement solutions to group practices, hospitals, and medical systems nationwide.

The Medicus Firm has recently achieved numerous industry distinctions. The firm was recognized by Inavero/CareerBuilder as the only permanent healthcare recruiting firm as a "Best of Staffing" company for 2013. Additionally, The Medicus Firm became the first physician recruiting firm to be selected by the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA-ACMPE) as an AdminiServe partner for physician recruiting services.

For more information or to schedule a media interview, contact Andrea Santiago, Director of Communications, (404) 990-3614 or email [email protected]. You may also visit online at www.TheMedicusFirm.com.

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SOURCE The Medicus Firm