Physician and Nursing Shortages
Physician & Nursing Shortages
Impacts they have because the Affordable Care Act and Reform
Marquitha Howell
9/28/2013
Healthcare reforms including Obama Care, formally named the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act greatly impacts physicians and nursing shortages. There are several provisions which could direct impact physicians and nurses through incentives for potential recruitment, grants, training and retention. Through potential initiatives, the act may indirect effects that may question or present new reimbursement alternatives and models of health care delivery options. Healthcare reforms will allow millions of additional working as well as no working Americans to obtain healthcare coverage and this may challenge and highly impact physicians and nurses workforces across the United States. Many healthcare facilities have already reported high vacancy rates for technicians, pharmacists, maintenance staff, housekeeping staff and radiology technicians and laboratory technologists. Today, fair percentage of the American population, roughly 20%, lack proper access to needed primary care because there is an ongoing shortage of physicians. Some doctors, almost 30% are declining to accept new patients whom are insured with Medicaid. The changing demographics of the United States today and perverse reimbursements are direct impacts from the physician shortage. The looming physician and nursing shortages will inevitably hinder the health care system that is already being tax as well as alter the way patients and their physicians interact because the doctor-to-patient ratio will continue to be raised which will hurt patient outcomes. All workers within the healthcare arena play a vital part in making the healthcare system successful. Physicians and nursing shortages definitely create problems for every department and for all other workers within their system. Worldwide shortages that the United States are currently
Impacts they have because the Affordable Care Act and Reform
Marquitha Howell
9/28/2013
Healthcare reforms including Obama Care, formally named the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act greatly impacts physicians and nursing shortages. There are several provisions which could direct impact physicians and nurses through incentives for potential recruitment, grants, training and retention. Through potential initiatives, the act may indirect effects that may question or present new reimbursement alternatives and models of health care delivery options. Healthcare reforms will allow millions of additional working as well as no working Americans to obtain healthcare coverage and this may challenge and highly impact physicians and nurses workforces across the United States. Many healthcare facilities have already reported high vacancy rates for technicians, pharmacists, maintenance staff, housekeeping staff and radiology technicians and laboratory technologists. Today, fair percentage of the American population, roughly 20%, lack proper access to needed primary care because there is an ongoing shortage of physicians. Some doctors, almost 30% are declining to accept new patients whom are insured with Medicaid. The changing demographics of the United States today and perverse reimbursements are direct impacts from the physician shortage. The looming physician and nursing shortages will inevitably hinder the health care system that is already being tax as well as alter the way patients and their physicians interact because the doctor-to-patient ratio will continue to be raised which will hurt patient outcomes. All workers within the healthcare arena play a vital part in making the healthcare system successful. Physicians and nursing shortages definitely create problems for every department and for all other workers within their system. Worldwide shortages that the United States are currently
References: Howard, Paul. (2013, July). Get Obama Care While Supplies Last. Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2013/07/11/obamacare-doctors-medicaid-primary-care-column/2510199/ Tang N, Stein J, Hsia RY et al: Trends and characteristics and US emergency department visits, 1997 – 2007. JAMA 2010; 304: 664-670 Pear, Robert. US Moves to Cut Back Regulations on Hospitals, October 2011. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/19/health/policy/19health.html?_r=0 Bahrych, Sharon. Let Physician Assistances be Part of the Primary Care Answer, December 2011, Retrieved from http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2011/12/physician-assistants-part-primary-care-answer.html