Doctors have so far not seen a sharp increase in new patients in the past year since Obamacare’s coverage expansion took effect, according to a new study contending doctors aren’t overwhelmed by the law’s expansion of coverage.
The report from health insurer Athenahealth found that new patient visits to doctors in its network increased from 22.6 percent of all appointments in 2013 to 22.9 percent in 2014. The goal of the report, which analyzed data from nearly 16,000 Athenahealth customers, was to see how doctors were handling Obamacare.
“Contrary to what many anticipated, physician waiting rooms aren’t being flooded by sicker-than-average newly insured patients,” said Kathy Hempstead, who directs coverage issues for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which funded the report. “So far, the new increase in demand is moderate.”
The report also found no evidence that physicians were tackling more complex cases. The diagnoses per visit increased only slightly from 2 to 2.1, the report said.
In an interesting twist, while Medicaid enrollment was expanded in 28 states and the District of Columbia, Medicaid visits have actually declined as a proportion of all visits to a doctor, the report said.
“This may be happening because providers are prioritizing patients with commercial coverage,” the report said.
The study provides new evidence in how the law will affect physician practices. Opponents have questioned whether the expansion of Medicaid and new enrollees will create more red tape and too many patients for doctors to handle.
While doctors are managing now, demand for healthcare services will continue to grow with the graying U.S. population. A recent report concluded the U.S. will face a shortage of between 46,000 and 90,000 doctors by 2025 due to a heavy demand for healthcare services.
