Doctors and Medicaid

Fewer doctors accepting new Medicaid patients.
On its front page, the New York Times (3/16, A1, Sack) reports that due to "a nationwide torrent of state cuts to Medicaid...patients are finding it increasingly difficult to locate doctors and dentists who will accept their coverage." In fact, "surveys show the share of doctors accepting new Medicaid patients is declining," and "emergency rooms are seeing more patients who do not need acute care." Meanwhile, "the inadequacy of Medicaid payments is severe enough that it has become a rare point of agreement in the healthcare debate between President Obama and Congressional Republicans." In Michigan, "Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm, a Democrat, has revived a proposal to impose a three percent tax on physician revenues" in order to cover a large increase in Medicaid patients.