ACA to drive job growth in healthcare, related industries

The Affordable Care Act is certain to prompt significant hiring among healthcare and related industries to comply with the law's provisions, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

The healthcare reform law law could account for one-third of the 4.6 million jobs the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies projects will be added to the healthcare industry over the next 10 years, the paper reported.

The new jobs will include nurse practitioners and physician assistants for providers, according to the AJC. Payers will need more insurance agents, and the need for wellness and fitness coaches will swell. Other ACA-related hiring will include IT professionals and customer service representatives.

"Nurse practitioners and physician assistants are attractive options because they can do 75 to 85 percent of the work a physician does at 55 to 65 percent of the cost," Susan Mesa, president of the job placement service AdvancedPractice.com, said in the article. "Research has also shown that use of advanced practice practitioners can improve patient satisfaction and healthcare delivery efficiency."

Jobs in healthcare already are near the top of the fastest-growing U.S. occupations, Career Builder reported recently. Among the fast-growing fields: Medical secretaries, medical assistants, registered nurses, nursing assistants, and licensed practical and vocational nurses.

Meanwhile, healthcare reform is driving changes in hospital staffing by emphasizing prevention and value-based care, according to recent news reports, creating demand for primary care providers, emergency physicians, clinical pharmacists and health IT and data specialists.

For more information:
- here's the AJC article