Tab for ‘Affordable’ Care Act Jumps $136 Billion

Six years after its inception, government forecasts concerning the cost of the Affordable Care Act (ACA, or “Obamacare”) continue to climb. Now the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) says the bill over the next decade will be approximately 11% higher than predicted just a year ago—that’s an extra $136 billion, for a total of $1.34 trillion over that time. The CBO chalks the greater cost up to higher-than-expected enrollment in the expanded Medicaid program established by the ACA. The same study forecasts a slight decline in employment-based coverage. With such news likely to increase anxiety among payers and cash-paying patients alike, data on the relative low cost for quality care found in the typical urgent care center should be a focal point of any discussion with potential occupational medicine clients and other parties who stand to benefit from continued growth within the industry.