A perennial question that is raised about Medicaid is whether beneficiaries can actually find doctors to access the care they need. A new factsheet from CCF on access to health care  summarizes available research which shows that in general the answer is a resounding yes.

Studies have consistently found that access to primary and preventive care for both children and adults is on par with those with private insurance. With respect to specialty care, Medicaid beneficiaries fare slightly worse than those with private insurance but far better than those with no insurance.

Medicaid’s low reimbursement makes it a highly efficient program, but does also raise legitimate questions about access to care. Yet often claims about Medicaid’s shortcomings in this regard are raised by those who are arguing for further cuts or against extending Medicaid coverage further. Our factsheet helps to set the record straight.

As states decide whether to accept federal dollars to extend Medicaid coverage to additional parents and other adults, the pressure of new enrollees may alter this equation. My colleague, Tara Mancini, will blog next on a new study from Health Affairs which sheds light on this important question – and again finds that moving ahead to extend coverage is the right choice.