With the Affordable Care act , also referred to as Obama Care, going into effect there are a number of provision that will effect local health care providers. According to Vice President of Medical Affairs at Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital, Dr. Joseph Britton, there are three provisions that will have significant impact on the hospital, providers and residents in Nevada County.
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Each of the three provisions present positive aspects but also some challenges.
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In regards to value-based purchasing, Britton says it provides meaningful data for hospitals as well as information patients can use.
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Dr. Britton also sees the increase in insured community members as a positive.
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Currently many county residents without medical insurance use the hospital emergency room as a primary care facility rather than going to a physicians office. That practice, developed as a result of Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital’s policy to not refuse service to anyone, along with only partial payments coming from Medi-Cal and Medi-Care for other services,  has the hospital providing 18 million dollars worth of unreimbursed medical care each year.