title: Wage Growth for the Health Care Workforce: Projecting the Affordable Care Act Impact.
abstract: To predict changes in wage growth for health care workers based on projections of insurance enrollment from the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
  
  
  
  Enrollment data came from three large employers and a sampling of premiums from ehealthinsurance.com. Information on state Medicaid eligibility rules and costs were from the Kaiser Family Foundation. National predictions were based on the MEPS and Medicare Current Beneficiary surveys. Bureau of Labor Statistics data were used to estimate employment.
  
  
  
  We projected health insurance enrollment by plan type using a health plan choice model. Using claims data, we measured the services demanded for each plan choice and year. Projections of labor demand were based on current output/input ratios. Changes in wages resulting from changes in labor demand from 2014 to 2021 were based on labor supply and demand elasticities.
  
  
  
  Expenditures required to retain and grow the health care workforce will increase substantially. Wages will increase most for professions with the greatest training requirements (physicians and registered nurses). The largest impact will be felt in 2015.
  
  
  
  Projected wage increases for health care workers may drive substantial growth in insurance premiums and reduce the affordability of health insurance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Finance, Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.
authors.forename: Stephen T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Parente
authors.affiliation: Division of Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Feldman
authors.affiliation: Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, Center for the Health Professions, University of California, San Francisco, CA.
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Spetz
authors.affiliation: Division of Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.
authors.forename: Bryan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dowd
authors.forename: Emily Egan
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Baggett
mesh_terms: D006282:Health Personnel / Q000191:economics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D009726:Nurses / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D058991:Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act / Q000191:economics; D010820:Physicians / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D014481:United States
keywords: Health reform; health care workforce; insurance; microsimulation; physician supply; registered nurse supply; uninsured