Under the Affordable Care Act, many changes are taking place in the field of health care. The shift in the health care system has prompted several states to engage in creative advertising encouraging citizens to seek details about the options becoming available in the days ahead. At the same time, employers are looking at overall health care costs, needs and offerings.
Signing up for a company health care package is not as easy as it used to be. As a result of increasing competition among health care providers, some companies are offering employees a flat sum of money which can be applied toward identifying a health care package that may be better suited to their family’s needs than one the company may be able to identify. The online marketplace for health care options is growing, especially among small and midsize companies, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Data collected by The Wall Street Journal indicates that larger companies are also beginning to look at this option, especially after Sears Holdings Corporation took this route last year. In fact, the article states, “a million Americans will get employer health coverage through such [online] marketplaces next year, and the number will increase to 40 million by 2018.” The diversity of offerings and price categories vary widely from program to program while each state has its own process of helping citizens navigate through the choices.
Along with choice, coverage for preventative health care and pre-existing conditions, the Affordable Care Act also promotes a more efficient and transparent health care system. Beginning January, 2014, any health care provider that accepts Medicare and Medicaid payments must keep electronic medical records or face penalties. This mandate is aimed at reducing waste and redundancy and has created a boon for health care jobs. The field of health informatics is growing at unprecedented levels. Direct care positions are also in high demand. Nurses, physician assistants, nurse practitioners and others are needed to meet the goals of a better continuum of care for all patients.
Health care workers with expertise in geriatrics are especially needed to meet the demands of an aging population over the next decade or two. As the Affordable Care Act continues to unfold, professionals are needed across all levels of health care in order to meet the far-reaching goals of the health care reform guidelines.
