Healthcare providers generally supportive of ACA, new poll finds

Once the Affordable Care Act is fully established, the insurance benefits that the reform law helps provide will be advantageous for the average American consumer, according to a recent survey of healthcare providers.

Approximately 90 percent of healthcare professionals indicated the ACA was a "step forward" for the industry as a whole. Additionally, 83 percent indicated they thought the reform law would be beneficial for society. The survey was performed by program management company Mortenson Construction. 

Still, many insurance industry executives said the ACA could use some refining. The poll found 86 percent were  supportive of the law undergoing "major changes" before it could be considered a net positive for the country overall.

"The healthcare market is in the process of adapting to a new normal," said Bob Nartonis, senior vice president and national healthcare market leader for Mortenson. "Many institutions are rethinking their basic assumptions regarding how they should operate going forward, understanding that there are new rewards for those who can successfully adapt and unwanted consequences for those who cannot."

Opinions on the ACA have been decidedly mixed since the enrollment period launched. In the latest polling data from Gallup, 51 percent of surveyed Americans disapproved of the healthcare overhaul while 41 percent said they were in favor of it.