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Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: J_F_Shepard who wrote (823085)	12/16/2014 6:11:26 PM
From: Broken_Clock	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1578561

2011 was a long time ago. Medicaid Patients Realize They Can’t Find a Doctor By Jim Geraghty April 9, 2014 9:34 AM A supporter of Obamacare finds that access to health insurance does not automatically turn into access to health care: “I’m sorry, we are no longer accepting that kind of insurance. I apologize for the confusion; Dr. [insert name] is only willing to see existing patients at this time.” As a proud new beneficiary of the Affordable Health Care Act, I’d like to report that I am doctorless. Ninety-six. Ninety-six is the number of soul crushing rejections that greeted me as I attempted to find one. It’s the number of physicians whose secretaries feigned empathy while rehearsing the “I’m so sorry” line before curtly hanging up. You see, when the rush of the formerly uninsured came knocking, doctors in my New Jersey town began closing their doors and promptly telling insurance companies that they had no room for new patients. Writer Danielle Kimberly notes that doctors lament that Medicaid reimburses them far too little money for their treatment. However, doctors also lament that reimbursement takes way too long to arrive and that the paperwork and bureaucracy are far too frustrating. A study from Merritt Hawkins released in February found that less than half the doctors in the nation’s largest cities take Medicaid patients; in 2009 it was above 55 percent. The range varies widely from city to city and from specialty to specialty, but in some cities, it is nearly impossible to find a specialist who accepts Medicaid. Only 7 percent of cardiologists in Minneapolis accept Medicaid; only 15 percent of dermatologists in Philadelphia; only 35 percent of obstetricians and gynecologists in Denver; only 28 percent of orthopedists in Seattle, and only 32 percent of family practitioners in New York City.

To: J_F_Shepard who wrote (823085)	12/16/2014 7:47:25 PM
From: i-node	Respond to of 1578561

>> 82.1% of Arkansas doctors accept new Medicaid patients I have no idea where that number came from but it is not correct. I will say that AR (like MS and a few others) has a large number of Medicaid patients and the acceptance rates here are higher than in most places. And Arkansas' "Private Option" has made it far more common, but this is a temporary relief, given that the cost overrun last year has been massive. This program will not last long. Arkansas has effectively boosted its acceptance rate by creating the "Diamond Plan", which allows providers to stuff all their Medicaid dollars directly into a tax deferred plan, which was a great idea but because of federal tax law it is complicated for most providers to avail themselves of. Nationwide, 1/3 of providers don't accept Medicaid at all. However, it is important to comprehend that these figures vary widely on a state-by-state basis. The bankruptcy of several Medicaid plans in the country has left providers with a really bad taste in their mouths. I can count on my fingers the the number of providers in the southern half OR the eastern half of AR in some specialties who accept Medicaid. And it is a huge problem. Even here, it is a problem that will get worse over time. Arkansas Medicaid is now having to ADVERTISE targeting patients to stay out of ERs unnecessarily.