Possibly the Most Colorful Race Ever
In case you
haven’t noticed, 2016 ushers in another Presidential election year. It’s time
for the United States of America to elect a new White House occupant.
So what?
We realize
it’s hard to stay focused when so much is going on. You might even say; So what?
It’s easy to
fall into apathy in a national election. While interesting, many of us have
arrived at the opinion that there’s little we can do other than vote that will
really change how things go in our country. Yet, we recognize that the privilege
to vote in a free election is a hallmark of the greatest nation in the history
of mankind.
Why is it
important for those of us in the EMS arena to pay close attention to the
persons chasing the role of “Leader of the Free World”?
On the Horizon
Consider the
front-running candidates and their positions. Doing so will point you to what’s
coming on the Horizon and the potential effect on EMS in America.
On the
Democratic side of the fence, should candidate Bernie Sanders carry the party
to a third straight term in The White House; he has vowed to work toward a
single-payer healthcare system for the entire nation.
The
implications for your EMS billing office are potentially enormous. This one step
could eradicate our current private health insurance system and lump all
healthcare and the payment for healthcare into a “Super-Medicare” model where
the government would be the ultimate payer and all claims for payment would be
submitted to this one insurance source.
Talk about a
huge shift, should that come about!
On the other
hand Hillary Clinton, potentially our first-ever female president, would keep
the current Affordable Healthcare Act intact but expand upon it by proposing to
cap premiums and look toward more cost efficiencies.
Anytime a
politician uses a derivative of the word efficient, it typically means more
oversight, reporting and regulations controlling what we do to be paid. Most
likely, a Clinton administration would seek to expand the ACA (or “Obamacare”). Already
we have seen some significant changes in deductibles and coverages on both the
reimbursement side and also the side that affects what your EMS agency pays
(and ultimately you pay) if you are a career EMS provider who also is extended
healthcare benefits. What would a Clinton expansion of the program really mean
to you and me?
The Elephant Speaks!
Consider if
the “elephant” lands in the Oval Office.
Donald J.
Trump has blown out of the gates as the surprise GOP front-runner. A
multi-billionaire businessman, he has vowed to repeal the ACA almost
immediately upon taking office. Such a move will have a profound effect on the
healthcare reimbursement picture and will set in motion sweeping changes,
reversing trends we have seen over the past nearly eight years in the ACA
environment.
Aside from
the direct healthcare system implications, even issues such as immigration
reform may have a profound effect on those of you who practice in areas where
undocumented aliens make up a sizeable portion of your patient population.
What should we do?
The best
thing you can do this year is to stay informed. Follow the candidates and their
positions on the issues, especially noting their plans for the future of
healthcare and healthcare payments in the future of our country.
Most
importantly, get out and vote! If you’re not registered, now is the time to do
so. Follow the American Ambulance Association and/or your State Association or
your Union positions on who to support in the election in order that you may
vote for the candidate who you feel will be most favorable to EMS.
The Ambulance Billing
Services blog is brought to you as an educational tool by Enhanced Management
Services, Inc. Enhanced Management Services, Inc. is an all-EMS third-party
billing contractor serving Fire/EMS agencies across the United States. To learn
more about who we are and what we do, please visit our website at www.enhancedms.com and click on the “Get Started” button on
any landing page.
