Seniors get answers about new health care law
Between 250 and 300 seniors gathered Thursday at Trinity Baptist Church for a presentation on how the Affordable Care Act will affect them.
“This is brand new legislation that hasn’t been fully enacted. ... We don’t know the full impact of how this is going to roll out,” said John Ross, an attorney at Ross Shoalmire Attorneys at Law. “How does the Affordable Care Act affect seniors? For the vast majority of people here today, you won’t see a big impact. ... The generations younger than you will feel it the most.”
One of the biggest concerns for seniors is a rise in the cost of private-pay, long-term care from cost-shifting stemming from lowered reimbursement from Medicare.
“The idea is we can cut things and businesses will become more efficient. The unintended effect is that the cost for private pay (patients) will go up,” Ross said.
Another projected change that will affect seniors is their access to a personal, primary care physician.
Because of a worsening shortage of doctors, projected to be 131,000 by 2025, those on Medicare will have to compete for patient slots with people who have private insurance that has higher reimbursement rates.
“What do doctors get to do? They get to pick their patients,” said Ross. “It’s simple economics. Once we have higher demand, we will start seeing the divide. That’s what we are anticipating.”
Ross asked for a show of hands from audience members who have primary care physicians. The majority of seniors raised their hands.
“My guess is most of you will outlive that concept. Your doctors will take other patients, and you’ll go to a clinic where a doctor will see you but not your doctor,” Ross said. “Most seniors will see a change in access to care. You’ll see one of several doctors in a clinical environment, or you’ll have a doctor you’ll have to pay cash to.”
One of the people present asked how seeing a doctor who was not familiar with them would affect their care.
“You won’t have the same type of personal understanding you’d have with your physician,” Ross said. “When it’s more impersonal, I think the quality of care goes down.”
Seniors will also see Medicare premiums and co-pays increase slightly, but for those living on a fixed income, even slight increases can have a big impact on their finances, Ross said.