How did the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act impact physician practices?
Here are six key points based on a report from Jackson Healthcare based on physicians who experienced compensation increases or decreases from 2013 to 2014:
1. 35 percent of physicians who reported their income decreased said they lost patients who lost their insurance or had their policies canceled; 13 percent who had their income increased said the same.
2. 27 percent of physicians with decreased income said they are not planning to participate as providers on the health insurance exchanges; 19 percent of physicians who reported income increased said the same.
3. 9 percent of physicians who had their income increase report losing patients as the ACA was implemented because they no longer accept the patient's insurance; 21 percent of physicians who had their income decrease said the same.
4. 59 percent of physicians who reported income increased plan to participate in the health insurance exchanges; 49 percent of physicians who had their income decrease said the same.
5. 26 percent of physicians with their income increased said they have had patients who obtained insurance through the exchanges; 16 percent of physicians who reported income decreased said the same.
6. 45 percent of physicians who saw their income decrease said they have had no changes to their patient panels since healthcare reform was implemented; 59 percent of physicians who had their income increase reported the same.