Will the Affordable Care Act Create More Healthcare Jobs?
A recently released report by the Urban Institute, which used Massachusetts as its model for health care reform, found that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will create more job opportunities for health care professionals. The twist? It will create opportunities for experienced health care professionals.
Because of the uncertainty wrapped around the law and the postponement of the employer “shared responsibility” mandate, many people think that the ACA will not be implemented. However, the individual mandate has not been postponed. People still need to acquire insurance in 2014 or face financial penalties. This means that the demand for health care will increase as possibly 30 million new patients will have access to health care services. Where are the jobs going to be? Opinions are divided, but here are 8 jobs that have the potential to be positively affected by the law’s implementation:
Personal Care Aids
An expanding senior population as well as patients with chronic disabilities and illnesses will require care and support.
Medical records/ billing
As new patients need health care services, they’ll also need someone to keep track of all their medical records and bill them.
Health care technology
The ACA will demand IT improvements from hospitals, doctors and pharmaceutical companies.
Medical devices
With the newly insured, demand for medical devices (from pacemaker electrodes to tongue depressors to disposable gloves) is expected to increase. This is should increase the need for more workers. However, the new medical device tax has the potential to derail this growth.
Physicians
As new patients need health care, they are going to establish a relationship with a primary care physician.
Medical support staff and skilled medical workers
It takes years to train physicians and nurse practitioners; support staff and skilled support staff (physician assistants, nurse practitioners, etc.) can be fully trained much quicker.
Urgent care
Newly insured patients who can’t wait to see a doctor are likely to turn to urgent care centers.
Pharmaceutical workers
With new customers, pharmaceutical companies will be working to keep up with demand. They will likely hire new workers; however, cost changes may put pressures on them to cut jobs.
As Massachusetts has shown, the implementation of the individual mandate section of the ACA will more than likely result in an uptick in health care hiring, and even more competitive recruiting of talented, experienced candidates
In addition, the demand for temporary health care workers is expected to rise as well, as facilities look to stabilize their staffing levels while they work to understand the full implications of the ACA’s implementation. So if the idea of temporary employment appeals to you – for its flexibility and opportunity for skill enhancement – remember Snelling Medical Professionals. We are here to help. To get started, visit your local Snelling Medical Professionals office today.
