Paul Wellman

Perspectives in Healthcare Phorum 2015

Doctor Panel Talks Fiscal Consequences of Obamacare, PhysicianShortage

About 30,000 people in Santa Barbara County are newly insured through Medi-Cal since the Affordable Care Act took effect, bringing the total number of recipients to about 106,000, or roughly one fourth of the county. In California, families of four living on $33,465 or less now qualify for the state health-care program, and the amount of people uninsured nationwide has droppedconsiderably.

But how will the government pay for such expanded access? That was one big unanswered question posed last week by a handful of area health officials during a Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care-sponsored forum at the DoubleTreeResort.

One purpose of the Affordable Care Act was to increase preventative treatment, freeing up emergency rooms that have long been bursting at the seams. Since 2012, however, Santa Barbara ER visits have increased by about 1,400 patients every year. Just last year, the ER in Goleta saw a 12-14 percent uptick, and Santa Ynezs hospital ER saw an 11 percenthike.

We are actually busier now than we have been in a long time, said Cottage Executive Vice President Steven Fellows. To accommodate the influx, the hospital took steps toward doubling the number of ER beds with the demolition of its central wing last week; along with other upgrades, the renovations will allow for more than 60,000 visits each year. Goleta and Santa Ynez will also double the size of theirERs.

PaulWellman

Sansum Clinic CEO KurtRansohoff

Despite the increased volume, wait times for the ER havent changed. On average, a Cottage patient waits 37 minutes to see a doctor (higher than the state and national average) and four hours and 18 minutes before being admitted to hospital (lower than the state and national average), according to ProPublica. Hospitals are required to evaluate everyone who arrives at an emergency room. At that point, we might as well just treat you, Fellowssaid.

View original post here:

Health Care Lands in the Emergency Room