Through a combination of health exchanges and an expansion of Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has helped over 10 million Americans enroll in affordable health plans. This surge in insured figures will, naturally, bolster the amount of people who visit doctor's offices and require medical care. In fact, according to a new infographic published by Kareo, the combination of a population boom and insurance options provided by the government will lead to increases in demand by 22 percent for healthcare services, 20 percent for primary care and 23 percent for non-primary care.

Not only that, but the average American is expected to live longer and healthier. Already, over 50 million Americans are enjoying access to preventative care options like cancer screenings and vaccinations, and another 62 million are taking advantage of mental health and substance abuse programs. With 32 million people expected to gain insurance through the ACA by 2022, and the average American's lifespan looking to hit 86-years-old by 2050, the next decade will see an enormous increase in physician demand.

Perhaps too much of an increase for some. According to Kareo, by 2025, the United States will see 100 million more doctor's office visits per year. At the same time, the country is expected to see a shortfall of approximately 130,000 physicians. 

What does this mean for practitioners and clinicians? Namely, that loss can be your gain. With fewer options available for patients, and demand skyrocketing, there will be plenty of new revenue opportunities for practices to capitalize on. As Kareo's Lea Chatham writes on her blog, implementing up-to-date chiropractic EHR software can greatly help streamline your day-to-day operations, allowing for you to take in great numbers of patients. The less time spent on administrative tasks, the more time can be spent on patients, which in turn allows for a capacity of effectively handling increased amounts of patient visits.

As Chatham notes, "[This] could mean serious revenue" for practices across America. Chatham cites that the average primary care doctor works 50 hours per week, seeing 78 patients in that time frame. But with chiropractic EHR software helping to consolidate and expedite otherwise time-consuming administrative duties, that same provider could tend to an extra 15 patients each week.

"If your average visit reimbursement is $100, you'd reap an additional $75,000 a year per provider," writes Chatham. "As an added bonus having an EHR and patient portal can help you keep all those new patients, 73 percent of whom are more loyal to a physician who has a portal."

The more that practices invest the best chiropractic EMR software available, the more they can ensure their ability to take advantage of this future uptick in patient visits and physician demand.