The Impact of the Affordable Care Act on Workers’ Compensation
The ACA has the potential to increase the costs of some aspects of workers’ compensation. Perhaps the biggest potential aspect is the increased demand for physicians.
Because more people will have health insurance, more people will be going to the doctor, straining the current supply of physicians. This could delay initial treatment for an injured employee, cause more time for the employee to be away from work and result in your company paying more in lost wages.
To avoid delayed treatment, your company should enroll in a quality care network and keep those relationships strong. Your medical providers should be carefully selected to ensure that your employees receive quality care in a timely manner.
Greater access to health care helps keep your employees healthy and could reduce the number of workers’ compensation claims.The Affordable Care Act does not directly address workers’ compensation issues, but some aspects of the health care reform law will most likely have an impact on workers’ compensation costs and practices.
