Most primary care doctors report that the Affordable Care Act has caused no change in their ability to provide quality care, although like the general population their opinions about the ACA are about evenly split.
Asked how their ability to provide quality medical care has changed since the ACA went into effect in January of 2014, 79% said it has improved or stayed the same, while 20% said it has declined. About 44% reported seeing an increase in their total number of patients, mainly those newly covered by insurance or Medicaid.
About 54% of primary care physicians said the ACA has had no impact or a positive impact on their medical practice overall, while 36% said it had a negative impact, and 9% were not sure. Asked about their ability to deliver quality medical care, 68% saw no impact or a positive impact, with 25% reporting a negative effect and 6% saying they were unsure.
Their ability to meet patient demand was unaffected or positively affected, in the view of 44% of the doctors, while 35% reported a negative effect and 10% being unsure.
The cost of patient care has been negatively affected in the view of 44% of the doctors, with 38% seeing a positive impact or no impact, with 16% unsure.
Regarding access to health care nationwide, 60% saw a positive impact or no change, with 24% reporting a negative impact and 14% being unsure.
About 48% of primary care physicians have a favorable opinion about the ACA, while 52% having an unfavorable view. Among the public at large, 44% favor it and 41% do not (the remainder declined to state their views.)
The findings were reported in the current issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. They were drawn from a survey of primary care physicians conducted early this year, with funding from the Kaiser Family Foundation.