The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a United States federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. The law is informally known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and colloquially as “Obamacare.”
The Affordable Care Act represents the most significant change to the U.S. healthcare system since the enactment of Medicaid and Medicare in 1965.
What Does the Affordable Care Act Do?
The Affordable Care Act is a complex piece of legislation with many provisions. According to HealthCare.gov, the website was created to support the implementation of the ACA:
The law provides numerous rights and protections that make health coverage more fair and easy to understand, along with subsidies (through “premium tax credits” and “cost-sharing reductions”) to make it more affordable.
Perhaps the two most notable changes brought about by the ACA are the online health insurance marketplaces run by each state and Medicaid expansion. These two initiatives aim to make it easier for uninsured Americans to purchase affordable health insurance or be covered under revised Medicaid guidelines for low-income families.
The Affordable Care Act and Healthcare IT Systems
While the many provisions of the ACA don’t directly mandate the use of electronic medical records or other healthcare IT systems, it nevertheless supports the goals of the HITECH Act.
According to one analysis, the ACA “contained numerous provisions intended to move the health system away from fee-for-service payments and toward rewarding providers based on the quality of care. It also encouraged providers to coordinate care and services. Both of these measures rely heavily on the use of EHRs to track care quality and medical histories.”
How TempDev Can Help With the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
TempDev’s team of NextGen consultants, developers, and trainers can help you implement, switch, or even upgrade your current EHR system. From dashboards, templates, and reports to revenue cycle consulting, automation, and workflow redesign, TempDev offers the tools you need to make the most of your NextGen EHR system.
Our team is here to help you design, organize, and implement the whole system, with top tips and guidance based on industry best practices.
Contact us here or call us at 888.TEMP.DEV to get the help you need working with the Affordable Care Act in your organization.
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