On April 27, KFF released a brief projecting how primary care physicians (PCPs) will respond to the estimated 16 million newly enrolled Medicaid beneficiaries under the national health care reform law.  Noting that the law is projected to result in a total of 32 million newly insured individuals, the brief examines which PCPs are more likely to serve new Medicaid patients.  The authors suggest that PCPs currently serving Medicaid beneficiaries are most likely to serve new Medicaid patients, but concede that a period of higher Medicaid reimbursements immediately following the expansion may serve as an incentive for PCPs who currently do not accept Medicaid.  The brief concludes that the Medicaid expansion offers both opportunities and challenges to PCPs, as demand for Medicaid-financed services will continue to rise.

From the report:

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) includes two provisions with significant implications for the adequacy of the supply of primary care physicians (PCP) serving Medicaid enrollees. First, the ACA extends Medicaid eligibility to nearly everyone under age 65 up to 133% of the federal poverty level ($14,484 for an individual or $29,726 for a family of four in 2011). The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that 16 million people, mostly adults, will gain Medicaid coverage as a result of this expansion; another 16 million people are projected to gain private coverage through insurance exchanges established by the new law. Second, for 2013 and 2014, the ACA raises Medicaid payment rates for primary care services delivered by PCPs, to Medicare’s payment levels for the same services.

Full Report: Physician Willingness and Resources to Serve More Medicaid Patients: Perspectives from Primary Care Physicians (PDF | 597 KB)

Kaiser Family Foundation. (2011). Physician willingness and resources to serve more Medicaid patients: perspectives from primary care physicians.