Lancaster, PA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 09/20/2012 --Ever since the historic Supreme Court decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act, more commonly known to many as “Obamacare,” the medical profession and the insurance industry alike have been abuzz about the potential changes and reforms that are on the horizon. One of these potential changes, however, has received surprisingly little publicity. That change is the potential for a dramatically expanded role of telehealth. A new report suggests that the ACA stands to make telehealth a common method of practicing medicine in the United States. The report has won the attention of Matthew Kirk of Access Financial Markets.

Telehealth essentially refers to one-on-one consultations between doctors and patients, conducted via online video chat. The report notes that this practice is nothing new, and has been implemented for years, but it remains slightly outside of the mainstream. However, a number of factors are conspiring to make it a more prominent option, including a growing and aging population; a shortage of family physicians; and the reformed mandated by the Affordable Care Act.

The report also notes that, for many Americans, the ACA will make it easier to obtain insurance coverage, but difficulties remain when it comes to finding a family physician. The report suggests that telehealth technology is one possible solution to this problem.

The report has won the attention of Matthew Kirk of Access Financial Markets. A long-time insurance professional and current administrator for The Benecon Group, Matthew Kirk has weighed in on the advent of telehealth with his own statement to the press.

“Telehealth will certainly be a component of health care delivery in the future,” opines Matthew Kirk of Access Financial Markets. “Such methods of care can positively impact the cost curve by lowering the frequency of utilization of traditional delivery methods.”

The American Academy of Family Physicians has reported that, by 2020, the United States could see a dearth of as many as 39,000 family doctors. As family physicians are in short supply, however, telehealth practices have gone a long way toward making patient care more accessible. Improved fiber-optic lines and faster Internet speeds continue to revolutionize telehealth, and to improve on its capacity to deliver results to patients.

Matthew Kirk of Access Financial Markets currently serves as President of The Benecon Group, a benefits administration company located in Pennsylvania, and serving hundreds of agencies. Kirk has years of experience in insurance, and is devoted to helping clients understand the ramifications of the ACA and other legislation.

About Matthew Kirk, formerly of Access Financial Markets
Matthew Kirk, formerly of Access Financial Markets, is currently President of The Benecon Group, Inc., a leading benefit administration and consultation company. Benecon has developed and administers 15 self-funded health benefit consortia and offers a range of services as a general agent to many commercial and select Blue carriers. Before coming to Benecon, Matthew Kirk was a Managing Director at Access Financial Markets, Inc. specializing in financial consulting and interest rate swap advisory. At Benecon, Mr. Kirk helps provide insurance services to more than 400 different agencies.