Burwell Calls on Family Physicians To Help With ACA Enrollment
On Thursday, HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell urged family physicians to help encourage U.S. residents to enroll in coverage through the Affordable Care Act, The Hill reports.
The second round of open enrollment will begin Nov. 15 and will run for three months. During this year's shorter enrollment window, the Obama administration will be tasked with both re-enrolling those who signed up last year, as well as urging uninsured residents to sign up for coverage.
In prepared remarks to the American Academy of Family Physicians, Burwell said, "We're going to need your help and your support just as much as we did last year, if not more," adding, "We hope you'll encourage (your patients) to stay covered, and we hope you'll encourage any uninsured patients to go ahead and take that important step and get covered."
Coverage Key to Preventive Care
Burwell also said that physicians have long been unable to advocate for preventive care, which she called a key part of family medicine, for uninsured residents. Burwell's message is in line with the administration's plan to shift the U.S. health care system away from a model that she said has "under-delivered on affordability, access and quality."
To help with that shift, Burwell urged physicians to provide care that prevents patients from having to spend money on unnecessary tests and treatment (Ferris, The Hill, 10/23).
This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.