Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/66918
The Affordable Care Act AND THE UNINSURED The Affordable Care Act is predicted to expand Medicaid and private people. How should health systems and payers payer rolls to 33 million currently uninsured prepare for the needs of this new patient base? in the United States to a wider pool of patients—many of whom will be accessing medical services on a regular basis for the first time. Others will be switching payers as new options become available to them. How will medical practices prepare for the new care recipients? Will this population tend to be old or young, male or female, chronically ill or occasional patients? Insurers and other payers T he Affordable Care Act will open the doors of the healthcare system markets and public health have emphasized the need for data. "If the vision for treating the insured population is that we need data to get to appropriate, timely, cost- effective healthcare treatment, there's also the same need for data for the uninsured and the undocumented," says Michael Birnbaum, vice president and director of the United Hospital Fund's Medicaid Institute. "The question is, 'How do you get that data?'" Presently, only rough need demographics data to make predictions about future patient needs. Without the typical payment histories to draw upon as they plan, how do payers and healthcare organizations prepare for the future? HIT Exchange looks at: How provider organizations collect data and estimate the treatment needs of uninsured populations at the present time The continuing presence of undocumented patients, "churn" patients, and others in situations that resist enumeration or tracking How this data can be used to predict changes coming under the Affordable Care Act information is available about the health needs of the uninsured. Unlike people with Medicaid, Medicare, or private health insurance, the uninsured often do not have detailed personal health records. A Kaiser Commission study reveals the uninsured are likely to be working people from low- or moderate-income families, dispelling stereotypes that they are primarily indigent people or undocumented immigrants. Young adults make up the largest age demographic, and minorities are disproportionately represented. Because of socioeconomic Reformers in private insurance 16 factors, and because they often put off or decide against seeking healthcare for chronic conditions, uninsured people are likely to be in worse health than the general population. The Department