More and more Americans are qualifying for Medicaid, but with doctor reimbursements waning, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find physicians willing to accept the government health program for those who are poor or have disabilities, patients say.
Some doctors say reimbursement rates as low as $25 for an office visit mean they’re losing money by agreeing to see Medicaid patients. Ultimately, many are simply no longer accepting the program.
That’s putting patients in a hard spot. Parents seeking care for their children say they feel like second class citizens as they call doctor after doctor, repeatedly getting turned away. One mom says she’s driving her 8-year-old two hours each way just to see a specialist.
Meanwhile, emergency rooms are swelling with patients who have nowhere else to turn, as wait times for low-cost clinics extend months.
The problem has caught the attention of federal lawmakers, with Republicans and Democrats agreeing that doctor reimbursement rates may need to increase. But that’s little consolation for hard hit families struggling to find care, reports The New York Times. To read more click here.
