The new Health Care Law is both
complex and controversial. Ask the CEO's
of the big Health Systems in Michiana and they'll tell you it's a good thing. CEO of St. Joseph Regional Medical Center, Albert Gutierrez, said, "there will be more Americans
that will be insured." And Phil Newbold, CEO of Beacon Health System said, "the 42
million people outside the system are going to be inside the system and with a
health insurance card. Tremendous, we
should cover everyone."
But those 42 million people in the
system are what's worrying Ovarian Cancer Survivor Patricia Johnson. "We may not
have the doctors available when we need them," said Johnson. Johnson said she got great care three years
ago when she was going through extensive treatment. "When my tumor
grew 2 centimeters in one week I went from being diagnosed to surgery
immediately." She worries
whether she would have had the same access to quality care if the Affordable
Care Act were in place back then. "It would have taken me months and that would have
been my life," said Johnson.
Beacon Health Systems CEO Phil
Newbold understands Johnson's worries. He
agrees there will be new challenges. So
he recommends getting a primary care physician now and holding on.
"When you bring 42
million people in it is going to stress the primary care system," said Newbold.
Newbold said there will be a need
for more doctors and they'll have to rely more heavily on nurse practitioners. But
Advocates add one of the biggest benefits will be greater access for those with
pre-existing conditions. "That allows for in
many cases people to change jobs comfortably and really change locations of
where they live without the fear of having to give up a particular insurance
policy," said Gutierrez
If one thing is for certain in all
of this it's that there is plenty of uncertainty. There's still a lot of research and reading
to as the mandate becomes law. Saint Joseph Regional Medical
Center says in the future
they will be opening centers where people can learn more information about the
Affordable Care Act and what it means for them.
