Physicians and Medicaid

One of the concerns about using Medicaid expansion, as is the case in the new health reform law, to reduce the nation’s uninsured population is the belief that many physicians won’t see Medicaid patients because of the program’s very low reimbursement rates.

Now, we have new numbers to underscore that worry.

A new survey published today by the American Medical News, a publication of the American Medical Association, found that even with the higher Medicaid primary care reimbursements for 2013 and 2014 that was included in health reform legislation, new Medicaid patients will have difficulty finding a regular physician.  Among the survey findings:

·         10 percent of primary care physicians believe new Medicaid enrollees in their area will have trouble finding a suitable primary care doctor.

·         49% of primary care doctors would be willing to see new Medicaid patients if Medicaid rates reached the same level as Medicare, 47% would not.

·         81% of primary care doctors would see new Medicaid patients if rates reached private insurance levels.

This survey, conducted by United Health Group’s Center for Health Reform and Modernization, reminds us that coverage does not necessarily equal access.  This situation will bear monitoring to ensure that our nation’s uninsured crisis doesn’t simply transform into a growing healthcare access problem because of Medicaid’s inherent limitations.