In fact, "only half of US doctors don't restrict or cap the number of Medicaid patients they see, while more than 70 percent of doctors accept all new Medicare or privately insured patients," according to some studies. One study, by the Center for Studying Health System Change, published online Nov. 18 in Health Affairs, showed that "the problems with Medicaid aren't limited to just the low payments," but they also include "bureaucracies [that] can delay payments for months."

For the study, researchers analyzed "how 4,900 physicians in 21 states responded to not only how much they were paid by their state's Medicaid program, but also by how quickly they were paid," Modern Healthcare (11/18, Robeznieks) added.

Comparing Medicaid participation among the study's participants, the researchers found that 64 percent of physicians "in states with higher and faster reimbursement" were accepting new Medicaid patients. Meanwhile, of those in "states with high fees but slow reimbursement," 50.9 percent "were taking new Medicaid patients." Notably, physicians were reimbursed "the fastest in Kansas, averaging 36.9 days, and slowest in Pennsylvania, averaging 114.6 days."

Related Links:

- "Payment Hassles, Not Just Stinginess, Turn Doctors Off Medicaid," Vanessa Fuhrmans, Wall Street Journal,/i>, November 18, 2008.