The new medicaid under PPACA what will it mean for general internists?

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) institutionalized Medicaid as a significant and permanent structure in the U.S. health care system. About half of the 32 million Americans expected to gain health insurance coverage under the ACA will be covered under Medicaid. While it is clear general internists will be significantly impacted by Medicaid-related health care reform provisions, its ultimate effect is unclear since these new opportunities also come with some new potential burdens. There are four main areas of impact for general internists to consider: (1) coverage expansions and reimbursement; (2) multiple payers and fragmented coverage; (3) primary care workforce and infrastructure capacity; and (4) delivery model changes.