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ACA: Our readers react

Article

One pediatrician responds to the findings of our online poll "Has the ACA hit home yet?" (February 2014)

I just acquired a retiring pediatrician's practice in 2013, as she didn't want to deal with EMR, e-scripts, ACA, and all that. Since I have assumed her practice, I have seen a slow surge of patient census due to switching of Healthy Families to Medi-Cal (lost 180 patients). Now with Obamacare on my doorstep, I found out that even if I try to keep my existing patients by applying to their chosen insurance network, I couldn't get in as a provider because, according to them, provider enrollment is by invitation only and for some insurance I am not eligible because I have been practicing for less than 10 years. How true is this? I thought that the reason why we are switching to this kind of care is so that we can provide services to the increased surge of enrolled patients. Why are they limiting the network of providers?

This has been a grueling experience for me. What more [is it] for the new graduates who want to start their own practices? I find myself swimming against the incoming current. I am worried that I may be losing more of my existing patients if they sign [up] for this Obamacare. I bought a practice at the wrong time!

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