ATWATER -- Some health care providers in the area say they have more questions than answers about the federal health care reform.

They also say they haven't heard many concerns expressed by patients -- yet.

"There's a lot of questions that we have," said Peter Mojarras, director of operations at Castle Family Health Centers. "How is it going to impact us? There's a lot expected."

Some estimated 20,000 people in Merced County who currently have no medical coverage will become insured when the law is fully implemented in January 2014, Merced medical officials said. It's unknown how many of them will get coverage under the Medi-Cal expansion.

Mojarras said care providers want to know exactly how everything will work at the local level. For example, they don't know if patients will be able to keep their same providers, he said.

"We have not received enough information," he said.

Regardless, area medical officials are doing their best to be prepared for the big change and help educate the community as the date gets closer.

The Golden Valley Health Centers has organized several forums and more planned to help educate the community about what the law will mean for people, said Christine Noguera, interim chief executive officer.

Golden Valley is already also looking at expanding the hours of operation Monday through Saturday, and possibly also being open on Sundays. "We do foresee increased demand," she said.

Still she said, one of the biggest challenges along with that, is the shortage of physicians in the area. "We can only expand as much as our provider is available to help us with those expansions," she said.

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Health care reform still a mystery to most