The Affordable Care Act and the Consumer Experience: A Look at the Figures Over the Past Six Years for Clinical Pathology Laboratory Professionals
Much hype has been written about the ACA’s Healthcare Marketplace and the user’s experience. Does the reality measure up to the positive press coverage? Dark Daily takes a look
One major element of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was to radically alter the health insurance industry while increasing the number of Americans with health coverage. As a consequence, both medical laboratories and anatomic pathology groups have experienced significant changes in how payers contract for, and reimburse, lab testing services.
These changes in payer contracting and reimbursement are just one way that the ACA is altering the landscape of healthcare in America. From C-suite executives of the nation’s largest health systems, to working-class families seeking coverage on the so-called “Health Insurance Marketplace,” everyone has been affected.
According to data from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, to date, approximately 20 million people have taken advantage of the provisions included in the ACA. However, a recent New York Times article pointed out that the reality of the consumer experience—how people actually use the ACA plans—differs somewhat from early reports. The whole thing’s turning out to be more complex than originally predicted.
Much hype has been written about the ACA. Pathologists and clinical laboratory managers should want to better understand the “real” experience for healthcare consumers after they (and providers) have endured six years of change associated with this federal law. (more…)
