The OIG has issued a report entitled “Access to Care: Provider Availability in Medicaid Managed Care,” which found that more than half of Medicaid managed care providers could not offer appointments to Medicaid enrollees, and one third could not be found at the location listed by the plan. The OIG observed that there could be long waits for appointments at those providers who offered appointments; while the median wait time was two weeks, 10% had wait times longer than two months. Primary care providers were less likely to offer an appointment than specialists, but specialists tended to have longer wait times. The OIG notes that access to care has taken on heightened importance as enrollment grows in Medicaid managed care programs. The OIG therefore urged CMS to work with states to (1) assess the number of providers offering appointments and improve the accuracy of plan information, (2) ensure that plans' networks are adequate, and (3) ensure that plans are complying with existing state standards and assess whether additional standards are needed. CMS concurred.
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