ACA hasn't boosted number of new patients at doctor offices

Even though the number of sign-ups during the open enrollment period for healthcare exchanges increased throughout the first half of 2014, the number of patients going into doctors' offices hasn't, according to a report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and athenahealth. The number of new patients actually dropped compared to the same time period last year, possibly due to the newly insured patients who are still unfamiliar with the healthcare system, and who still seek care in the emergency room rather than the doctor's office. New consumers may also take time to shop for a new doctor, schedule appointments and see the doctor, especially if they have plans with narrow networks and limited provider choices. Read the full article at FierceHealthPayer