By the end of 2015, the Affordable Care Act will add more than two million enrollees to Medi-Cal, according to a report by the California Health Care Foundation. However, Californians are likely to have a hard time getting health care through Medi-Cal unless the number of participating physicians grows or California finds other ways to deliver services. Medi-Cal enrollees face significant challenges due to statewide variations in physician availability. The survey also finds the following:
• Their are 35 to 49 Medi-Cal primary care doctors to 100,000 enrollees, which is well short of the 60 to 80 that the federal government says are needed. There are 68 to 102 non-primary physicians Medi-Cal to 100,000 enrollees, which is within the federal estimate of need (85 to 105 per 100,000).
• 69% of all physicians have Medi-Cal patients; 77% have Medicare patients; and 92% have privately insured patients.
• Physicians in community health centers and public clinics have the highest rate of Medi-Cal participation at 92%, and those in solo practice have the lowest at 54%.
To get the report, visit http://www.chcf.org/publications/2014/08/physician-participation-medical
