The health care landscape is quickly changing due to the Affordable Care Act—commonly called Obamacare. Since it was signed into legislation, this act has been the cause of a lot of buzz across the United States and is responsible for growing trends in 2014. You might be hearing a lot about the act on the news and you might be wondering what these changes mean for you. We’ll break down 2 trends and explain how they might impact you in the coming year as you prepare to enter a career in health care.
1. More Americans with health coverage
The Affordable Care Act is giving millions of Americans the opportunity to access health insurance.1 According to recent government data, around 3 million people have already enrolled in private health insurance under the act and this number is expected to grow.2 The growing number of people with health insurance means more people will be able to seek medical attention, making it necessary for health care facilities to hire more health care professionals.
What does this mean for you?
Great news for students studying health care! The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that there will be close to 5 million more health care related jobs by 2022.3 You are entering a field where you are very needed, which can increase your chances of quickly finding employment. Yahoo! Education predicts the following professionals will benefit the most from the act: medical assistants, dental assistants, pharmacy technicians, physical therapy assistants, medical records and health information technicians, health services managers, and diagnostic medical sonographers.[4]
2. An increase in #HCtech
In its annual report on the Top Health Industry Issues for 2014, PwC predicts that healthcare organizations will adopt technology to deal with the rising demand for services due to the Affordable Care Act and redefine how medicine is practiced.5 The use of technology in health care is steadily increasing and 57% of hospitals plan to increase their IT spending through 2016.6 Health care workers are using computers and other technology in providing care to patients, to communicate with other staff, to record and manage medical information, and for medical testing, among other things.
What does this mean for you?
This means it is very likely that you will have to use technology as a part of your job. A major reason for this is the ongoing transition from paper records to electronic health records for patients. Since there is an increased demand for tech-savvy individuals for positions in health care,7 be sure to highlight your tech skills in your resume to help you stand out from other applicants. If your tech skills aren’t as developed as you would like, taking some time to ask your instructors, career services center or classmates for help could benefit your job search preparation. 1‘About the new law,’ WhiteHouse.gov. www.whitehouse.gov/healthreform/healthcare-overview#affordable-coverage 2 ‘Obamacare coverage enrollment hits 3 million: Official,’ Reuters. www.cnbc.com/id/101362683 3 ‘Employment projections — 2012-2022,’ U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. bls.gov/news.release/ecopro.nr0.htm 4 ‘How Obamacare Is Changing Health Care Careers,’ Yahoo! Education. education.yahoo.net/articles/obamacares_change_to_med_jobs.htm 5 ‘Top Health Industry Issues for 2014,’ PwC. www.pwc.com/us/en/health-industries/top-health-industry-issues/health-workforce.jhtml 6 ‘New business models, more corporate VC & 8 other healthcare industry trends for 2014,” MedCity News. medcitynews.com/2013/12/10-healthcare-industry-trends-will-define-2014/#ixzz2rXNqRQKd
