The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's newly insured patients will not crash the health care system, a new report said, contradicting assertions by some medical groups that the law would aggravate a shortage of doctors and otherwise strain health services.
According to a Commonwealth Fund analysis released Wednesday, the number of annual primary care visits due to the health care law will rise just slightly, by 3.8 percent nationally. That translates into about 70 additional visits per year per primary care physician, or 1.3 visits per week.
Researchers said that the nation's health system can accommodate the added demand, and that the increase of primary care visits will have only a modest impact on consumers' access to care.
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"This research eases concerns that primary care practices will be unable to accommodate people who gain new coverage through the Affordable Care Act," Commonwealth Fund President Dr. David Blumenthal said in a news release.
However, he noted that "continual monitoring of the capacity of our health system to meet increased demand will be necessary."
The organization's own survey found that 75 percent of people with new Medicaid or PPACA coverage who had tried to find a new primary care doctor since enrolling in their new plan found it was "very easy" or ""somewhat easy" to do so.
According to its latest report, 17 states will see increases of more than 4 percent, and seven states increases of more than 5 percent.
Additionally, Commonwealth researchers said there would be a 2.2 increase in the number of emergency room visits and a 3.1 percent increase in the number of inpatient hospital visits.
Millions of Americans have gained health insurance under PPACA, causing fears that the influx of new patients would significantly strain the health care system. Several medical groups, including the Association of American Medical Colleges and the Association of Academic Health Centers, had warned that the flood of new patients under PPACA will have profound implications for patient access to medical care.
But Commonwealth researchers said their evidence points to the contrary — that the health system can absorb the increases.
"Our current supply of doctors, hospitals and other providers should be sufficient to meet this demand," Commonwealth said. "Changes already under way, like greater reliance on nurses and physician assistants, and technological advances, like telemedicine, will help, too."
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