More than 80 percent of physicians say they don’t have enough information about the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to answer patients’ questions or understand its impact on their practices, according to a recent survey. Fortunately, the AMA offers resources with answers that can help ease this transition for your patients and practice.
Download an ACA fact sheet for helpful information about the ACA rollout, including information about the new insurance exchanges, Medicare benefits and the individual mandate. An accompanying FAQ document provides answers to common questions from patients.
The Department of Health and Human Services also offers a patient brochure about the health insurance exchanges, guidance on how the Healthcare.gov website works, and a patient pocket card listing relevant websites and phone numbers.
A new checklist, developed by the AMA and the Medical Group Management Association, identifies six actions that can ease some of the administrative challenges physicians and their patients may face during this implementation phase. The checklist includes recommendations on training staff, discussing cost information with patients and understanding your state’s essential health benefits.
The AMA continues to work with the federal government to troubleshoot issues surrounding the ACA as they arise and develop additional guidance to help physicians.
