States and Medicaid Coverage

Posted on August 7, 2012 by townsend

• Seeking a doctor while on Medicaid? Forgetaboutit in N.J., By Phil Galewitz, August 7, 2012, Philadelphia Inquirer: “If you’re on Medicaid and looking for a new doctor, your chances are excellent of finding one – in Wyoming. In New Jersey, not so much. About 69 percent of doctors nationally accept new Medicaid patients, but the rate varies widely across the country, according to a study published Monday in the journal Health Affairs. New Jersey had the nation’s lowest rate at 40 percent, while Wyoming had the highest, 99 percent, according to a survey last year of doctors by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pennsylvania and Delaware closely track the national average of about seven out of 10 doctors accepting new Medicaid patients…”
• Falling through cracks if states don’t expand Medicaid, By Maggie Fox, August 7, 2012, NBC News: “Derek Anderson never imagined he’d wind up on welfare. At 36, he has a college degree, a solid background in sales and three kids under the age of 7. He’s also recovering from leukemia and since he lost his job and his employer-sponsored insurance, he’s been on Medicare, the federal health insurance plan for the disabled and elderly. Anderson, who now relies on Social Security disability payments for income while he tries to get back on his feet, worries about whether he can get a job with health insurance. If he starts working, he’ll lose eligibility for Social Security and Medicare — but he and his wife, Erica, would likely be eligible for Medicaid if his home state, Montana, expands it as called for under the 2010 health reform law and offers it to low-income adults. However, their future is now unclear after the Supreme Court said states can opt out of the expansion…”