Angela Mattie, HCM chairwoman at Quinnpiac, promotes urgent care centers.
Angela Mattie, chairwoman of the department of health care management at Quinnipiac University, is quoted in Hearst Connecticut’s recent article on urgent care centers. She said the country is in the grips of a physician shortage that often makes it difficult for people to get an appointment quickly. “(Urgent care) provides an alternative for when you have a cold and need to see someone right away,” Mattie said.
The shortage is expected to get worse in the coming years, with the federal health care legislation known as the Affordable Care Act expected to provide health coverage to millions of uninsured Americans this year. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, the country could have a shortage of nearly 92,000 physicians by 2020, a number that is expected to grow to nearly 131,000 by 2025.
“Given that landscape,” Mattie said, “the idea of the neighborhood physician is disappearing and people are seeking medical care from whoever will see them the fastest. That’s a large reason why many people who can’t get in to see a doctor – either because the physician is busy, or because they simply can’t afford it – end up in the emergency room.”
Urgent care centers typically accept most insurance plans and some, including Doctors Express, offer special rates for the uninsured and underinsured. Depending on where the patient goes and what insurance they have, urgent care visits are either close to or slightly more expensive than a trip to a primary care physician. Either way, the clinics charge significantly less than emergency rooms.
For the full article, click this link: http://www.newsdaily.com/health/430aa347ececca2083e4883e97060aac/urgent-care-centers-aim-to-fill-health-need
Quinnipiac School of Business 