Posted by Vanessa Fuhrmans in Wall Street Journal Health blog
As Democrats in Congress consider covering more of the uninsured kids by expanding Medicaid, they may want to consider this: Fewer doctors are accepting Medicaid patients not just because fees are so low, but because it often takes months to get paid.
Studies show only half of U.S. doctors don’t restrict or cap the number of Medicaid patients they see, while more than 70% of doctors accept all new Medicare or privately insured patients. Medicaid payments are so skimpy payments in many states that doctors say they’d go bust if Medicaid patients make up more than 20% to 25% of their practices. Some reform efforts, such as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s ambitious but failed attempt to achieve universal coverage in California last year, have acknowledged this by trying to fund payment increases.
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