Doctors and the Affordable Care Act

It’s one of the most controversial laws ever enacted, but love it or hate it it’s almost here. It’s the AffordableCare Act.

While not everyone has signed up, the time to act for health care providers has already passed. They know what’s coming as more people get access to care.

“We’ll see an increased volume,” said Cherie Gorby, the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Colorado Springs HealthPartners (CSHP).

CSHP has 10 locations and more than 100 doctors in the fold, but more patients means that it won’t always be a doctor that you see.

“For every two providers, we would have a nurse practitioner or pa (physician associate) that would be able to work with the physician,” said Gorby.

Either one would be able to do the basics when it comes to administering health care. But when it comes to the extra paperwork that will be generated by the new regulations, it will take much more than one person. Gorby says that the new electronic paperwork can have benefits for the patient.

“We have had years of practice having everything automated. So it doesn’t matter where you go, which one of our locations, we have your medical record,” she said.

The goal of the Affordable Care Act is preventative care.

“You’re getting your blood pressure checked on a routine basis, you know what your cholesterol is,” said Gorby.

Healthier people should use the system less. Whether that actually happens or not is anyone’s guess.

Gorby said, “we don’t really know what’s going to be the good, the bad and the ugly right now.”

It’s one of the biggest questions that the systemfaces as it gets implemented.