But the program has been both disparaged and praised and had been a major point of contention during the heated debate surrounding the U.S. government shutdown.
The health insurance marketplaces, a major component of Obamacare, launched earlier this month, amid rushed timelines, technical problems and high traffic volumes to the websites. On the Maryland exchange, for example, consumers searching for providers received the message “no doctors are found.”
As states continue to work to implement the laws, conversations between physicians and their parents are a critical part of getting the word out to uninsured people. Despite the passionate rhetoric, polls continue to show that Americans are uninformed about healthcare reform. For example, a recent survey by SurveyMonkey found that more than 40% percent of respondents are slightly or not at all familiar with the Affordable Health Care Act and 62% are nearly clueless about the exchanges, indicating they’re slightly or not at all familiar with the health insurance marketplace.
Lauren Fifield, senior health policy advisor at Practice Fusion, said providers and consumers alike need to continue to do their homework. “Patients need to step up and manage their own health and wellness, while providers need to figure out the best, most sustainable technology strategy to help them manage patient visit flow, follow-up and communication, care coordination, and reporting and quality measurement,” Fifield said.
The marketplace will continue to allow individuals to enroll until March 31, 2014, and presumably, many of the hiccups will continue to be worked out. They include a recent password glitch on healthcare.gov, run by the Department of Health and Human Services, the operator of the Affordable Care Act.
Other initiatives are in progress at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, including a Comprehensive Primary Care Initiative (CPCI), a push to strengthen primary care by enhancing payment. Additionally, underway is the Bundled Payments for Care Improvements, a new payment model that aligns incentives for providers – hospitals, post-acute care providers, physicians, and other practitioners– allowing them to work closely together across all specialties and settings.
Small group practices stand to gain financial benefit from measuring quality and engaging patients, Fifield says. “No doubt, technology will help reduce complexity as they adopt new workflows, reporting, and communication strategies.” Providers should look for technology partners who can help drive practice efficiency as volumes of patients and complexity of care delivery increase.
What’s ahead for the Affordable Care Act? Doctors are hoping that the program does cut insurance paperwork and bureaucracy and offer more support for electronic medical record use and coordinated care. In any case, the future of healthcare is sure to change.
