Reduced Healthcare Reimbursements More Repercussions

A recently released news report disclosed that a large chain of group homes in Rhode Island had to close six facilities. This left seventy individuals without the desperately needed housing and medical care provided by such residences. Fifty five adults and fifteen children now find themselves either being moved to state run, less personalized institutions or being stuffed into already crowded existing group homes where care and attention is now quite inefficient.

It is unfortunate that Medicare reimbursements to medical providers of all kinds to include these group homes are paying for parts of the ACA (aka Obamacare). The ACA is in fact partially funded by these payment reductions and such actions are occurring at a time in history when the population is requiring additional medical and social/mental services. This is still another unforeseen casualty associated with the ACA and full implementation has not yet taken place. The LAW will be in full operation in 2016 and to be quite frank, one does not know what perils such implementation brings.

Although implemented with good intentions, the negative outcomes of the Law seem to arise and present hardships and confusion at every stage. Insurance premiums have skyrocketed, emergency rooms are still seeing patients that should be treated by primary care physicians, waiting periods to see primary care providers has jumped forcing the use of emergency rooms and through all of this physicians and other providers are seeing less money at the end of the week as a result of reimbursement reductions.

Is the ACA working? Many initial supporters of the program now seem to express “buyers remorse” with dissatisfaction numbers exceeding those that like it.