Providers are not as convinced as they were a year ago about the Affordable Care Act's ability to drive down the cost of healthcare, according to a new study.
Only a third of providers interviewed believe the ACA will lower the per-patient cost of healthcare, compared to two-thirds a year ago, according to a 2015 Mortenson Healthcare Industry study.
While three-quarters expressed optimism about the overall future of healthcare, eight out of 10 providers feel ACA legislation needs significant changes or revisions, according to Mortenson.
[Also: 10 million expected to sign up for Obamacare, HHS says]
Nearly 70 percent of healthcare providers surveyed believe the ACA will succeed in shifting reimbursement from fee-for-service to a model that is value-based. Many acknowledged the ACA – by causing providers to rethink how they provide services – will improve care over time.
Mortenson is a healthcare contractor which received feedback from more than 300 healthcare professionals at the 2015 American Society for Healthcare Engineering Planning, Design, and Construction Summit.
Fifty-four percent of healthcare providers believe improving the physical healthcare facility environment has a substantial impact on patient outcomes, according to Mortenson. Over one-third plan to increase facility investments over the next two years including ambulatory care facilities and medical office buildings.
"There are several challenging dynamics facing healthcare service providers today but they are optimistic as a whole," said Bob Nartonis, senior vice president and national healthcare market leader at Mortenson.
Twitter: @SusanJMorse