A Short Explanation of The Accountable Care Act The Accountable Care Act is properly called the Patient Protection and Accountable Care Act and often referred to as Obamacare. As scheduled effects of the Patient Protection and Accountable Care Act occur many new and curious doorways into the healthcare systems will appear. This will include more urgent care facilities and independently practicing nurses replacing doctors at retail clinics, pharmacies, grocery stores, etc. By providing the appearance of easy access and less expensive medical care, most will fail to notice the absence of doctors. Behind this trend is a belief that the triple goal of lower cost, better access, and higher quality can be realized by becoming more like an industry producing products on an assembly line. What most patients need is a doctor that will stop the assembly line, really listen and care for patients – in essence, a doctor that has time to address a patient’s complex problems. Medicine is inherently complex given the variability of patient histories, diseases, geography, cultures, changing technology and genetics. Quality medical care takes time. Getting quality medical service will increasingly require selecting a doctor that offers a more personalized service. For a fee, seniors can contract with a personal care/concierge doctor that offers prompt access, adequate time for appointments, options for calling them directly, time to make good medical decisions, and advocacy when seeking care beyond the primary care doctor’s office. In Huntsville, Alabama, many view the opportunity to provide personal care as a positive since it provides their doctor time to listen, make the best medical decisions and teach them what they need to know rather than 5-7 minute appointments where healthcare needs get kicked down the road. By providing adequate appointment time and care, this new type of personal care doctor helps keep their patients maintain the best quality of life, stay out of the hospital and avoid unnecessary procedures. Tell Me More about Concierge Physicians in Huntsville, Alabama. Exit |