Five Strategies to Survive as a Physician Under the ACA —Physicians Practice

There’s Good Reason for Long-Term Concern, Uncertainty, and Fear. Here’s What To Do.

James Doulgeris at Physicians Practice explains:  “Everyone in the practice and allied health world should take the title of the legislation seriously — The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). It does not say physician protection nor does it say it will be affordable for you. Most practices will suffer serious consequences, or fail without proper planning.” More:

Here are five things you must do to protect your practice:

1. Get involved. If it seems that the ACA was conceived, drafted, and passed into law without the input of those who actually practice medicine, you would be correct. The Supreme Court has given physicians a second chance to be heard for the first time. States have a choice to take federal money and conditions, or to institute their own Medicaid reforms without being penalized or coerced. Governors of both parties in 11 states are giving opting out serious consideration, eight have announced they will not participate, and the rest are waiting until after the election. All will need the support of their legislative bodies. Join your local or county medical association chapter and insist they convene a committee to be heard in both the federal and state executive and legislative branches. Better yet, step up and speak up.

2. If you are a primary-care physician, take care in becoming dependent on Medicaid even though they will be paying Medicare rates. Your state may not participate or discontinue it in the likely event that it is unaffordable. Further, the program is for two years, or as long as the money lasts, which may not be long. If you fill your practice with Medicaid patients, you own them regardless of what happens to reimbursement. This is a harsh choice, but, if your practice fails, everyone loses. The ACA dumps this on your lap, and they need to fix it.

3. If you are not a primary-care physician, act now to develop and implement strategies to manage your payer mix. You have to see two privately insured patients to make up for the loss and just one surgery or procedure can increase the privately insured proportion substantially. PCP reasons apply.

4. Improve your quality of service. Less than half of people with health insurance are privately insured and competition for them will become increasingly intense.

5. Cut every ounce of fat in your operation and invest the savings in quality, image and marketing to keep and add as many privately insured patients as possible. Most are paying office visits out of pocket, and they expect much better service.

It’s Tough Out There, For Physician Practices!