Local Hospital Officials Happy With the Ruling of the Affordable Care Act
By: Melanie Huonker
Updated: June 29, 2012
NATIONAL--- It's a historical ruling. 26,000,000 people without health insurance will now have to purchase it when the Affordable Care Act goes into effect in January of 2014. Local hospitals are welcoming the decision.
"It's our hope that it will have a positive impact on our physicians not only in the community but nationwide," Scott Watson, vice president of Mercy Joplin Hospital, says.
Freeman Health System CEO Paula Baker agrees. She says currently five to seven percent of their patients are uninsured. The hospital has seen a 50% increase in the number of patients who can't pay for their visits. "One of the best things about the ruling is that it makes it accessible to so many people that didn't have it before. Good health care is something every individual has a right to," Baker says.
The Principal of Adviant, a human resource consulting group, says the ruling will help balance
the insurance pool. "The government compelling everyone to buy insurance puts everyone in a pool, and so you've got more people in the pool. You've got healthy people, medium healthy people spreading that risk is theoretically what makes that whole system work well," Jonathan Scales, Principal of the Adviant, says.
"It's our hope that it will have a positive impact on our physicians not only in the community but nationwide," Scott Watson, vice president of Mercy Joplin Hospital, says.
Freeman Health System CEO Paula Baker agrees. She says currently five to seven percent of their patients are uninsured. The hospital has seen a 50% increase in the number of patients who can't pay for their visits. "One of the best things about the ruling is that it makes it accessible to so many people that didn't have it before. Good health care is something every individual has a right to," Baker says.
The Principal of Adviant, a human resource consulting group, says the ruling will help balance
the insurance pool. "The government compelling everyone to buy insurance puts everyone in a pool, and so you've got more people in the pool. You've got healthy people, medium healthy people spreading that risk is theoretically what makes that whole system work well," Jonathan Scales, Principal of the Adviant, says.
