The beginning of 2014 will be a little different from other new years—instead of just the usual flimsy resolutions that last a few days, we will see the health care industry in America undergo dramatic and lasting changes. After the major provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) go into effect and millions of previously uninsured people get insurance, health care professionals will face increasing demand for their services. The new healthcare landscape will present new challenges and shifting job roles to medical professionals, particularly to midlevel employees such as nurses and physician assistants.
Increasing Reliance on Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners
As more people seek health care and a critical doctor shortage is hitting the country, highly educated nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (Pas) will be in high demand. The PPACA also includes a shift towards primary care, so these professions will have more responsibility and autonomy than ever previously.
Impact on Temporary Nurse Staffing
Nurse staffing agencies will feel the effects of the PPACA both in the supply and demand for their workers. As the demand for health workers such as NPS and PAs increases, staffing agencies will be called upon to supply understaffed hospitals and clinics with temporary or permanent help. Some smaller facilities might use staffing agencies to stay under the 50 full-time employee cap to avoid penalties, but the government will be scrutinizing the industry for possible abuses of the law.
On the supply side, as insurance benefits could become available for many more employees, qualified medical professionals could turn to employment at temporary agencies. The flexibility could be attractive for medical professionals seeking employment opportunities in a wide variety of areas.
Accounts Receivable Factoring for Nurse Staffing
As staffing companies see an increase in demand and supply, costs will grow. In order to grow, these businesses need cash to pay staff and bills and seek new business opportunities. Accounts receivable factoring is one finance option for nurse staffing companies. Essentially, it’s the sale of the staffing agency’s invoices to a factoring company in exchange for cash. Accounts receivable factoring is a flexible form of financing that grows with the business and is perfect for industries facing massive changes such as healthcare. Having cash available is one way that nurse staffing can weather the coming changes in 2014.
