Our parent company, Jackson Healthcare, recently completed a
survey of physicians. The survey showed that a growing number
of doctors can't afford to take Medicaid and Medicare
patients. Read below for more details.
ATLANTA - While at least 13 million Americans may soon join the
Medicaid rolls, a majority of physicians in many specialties say
they can no longer afford to accept new Medicaid patients due to
declining reimbursements, according to a new national survey of
physicians by Jackson Healthcare.
According to the survey, 36 percent of physicians said they are
no longer accepting new Medicaid patients. Currently, 26 percent of
doctors don't see Medicaid patients.
However, 66 percent of dermatologists, 64 percent of
endocrinologists, 58 percent of internists, 57 percent of physical
medicine and rehabilitation doctors and 53 of adult psychiatrists
said they can't take on more Medicaid patients.
Other specialties also report an inclination to limit the number
of Medicaid patients they can treat because of the low
reimbursement: orthopedic surgeons (50 percent), family
practitioners (45 percent), gastroenterologists (47 percent),
neurologists (43 percent), cardiologists (39 percent) and
urologists (35 percent).
Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, many of
the uninsured are to gain health insurance coverage through
Medicaid beginning in 2014. An estimated 13 million or more are
expected to sign up for Medicaid the first year and the number is
expected to grow as high as 26 million by 2020. The law's
constitutionality is currently being decided by the U.S. Supreme
Court.
"This is creating the perfect storm that will make it very
difficult for the poor and elderly to access a doctor," said
Richard L. Jackson, chairman and CEO of Jackson Healthcare.
"Physicians say they just can't afford to be part of a system that
generates so many patients for so little compensation."
Meanwhile, the same trends are emerging for baby boomers and the
elderly who are insured by Medicare, according to the Jackson
survey. In the national survey, 17 percent of physicians said they
could no longer afford to see new Medicare patients. Currently, 10
percent of doctors report they do not see Medicare patients at
all.
Doctors reporting they can no longer take new Medicare patients
include 43 percent of adult psychiatrists, 27 percent of internists
and generalists, 25 percent of family practitioners and 24 percent
of ob-gyns.
"Where will all these seniors go when doctors can't afford to
see them?" Jackson said.
The physicians' survey found the states where doctors were least
likely to accept new Medicaid patients were New Jersey and
California. Among the states where doctors said they were
least likely to see new Medicare patients included Vermont,
Mississippi, Texas and California.
Jackson Healthcare's research on physician capacity for Medicare
and Medicaid patients is based upon survey invitations emailed to
physicians nationwide and completed online. The survey was
completed by 2,232 physicians across all specialties. It was
conducted between April 19 and April 26, 2012, and had a margin of
error of + or - 2.1 percent at a 95 percent confidence level.
To see the survey and its impact on physicians go to
http://jacksonhealthcare.com/media-room/surveys/physician-practice-trends-survey-2012.aspx.
For more information on contact Susan Meyers at slmeyers@comcast.net or
(404) 518-2271.
About Jackson Healthcare
Jackson Healthcare is the fourth largest healthcare staffing
company in the U.S. and serves more than 4 million patients in over
1,300 hospitals. The company also provides technology
solutions that enable total hospital efficiency.
Jackson Healthcare has earned national media coverage by
providing innovative solutions to healthcare problems, in addition
to championing local, national and international charitable work.
It has been recognized as one of the Best Places to Work by
the Atlanta Business Chronicle for five consecutive years.
Visit http://www.JacksonHealthcare.com
to learn more.