Regardless of occasional anecdotal studies of individuals having hassle discovering a health care provider who takes their insurance coverage, KFF researchers discover in a new analysis that the overwhelming majority of non-pediatric office-based physicians settle for new Medicare sufferers, in addition to new non-public insurance coverage sufferers.

Eighty-nine % of such physicians accepted new Medicare sufferers in 2019, and 91 % accepted new non-public insurance coverage sufferers, in line with the evaluation, which makes use of information from the federal 2019 Nationwide Digital Well being Information Survey (NEHRS). Amongst major care physicians the charges are decrease, however nonetheless comparable for brand spanking new sufferers with Medicare (83%) and personal insurance coverage (86%).

As well as, the evaluation discovered that roughly the identical proportion of non-pediatric office-based physicians accepted new Medicare sufferers in 2011 (88%) as in 2019. And the share of physicians who settle for new non-public insurance coverage sufferers has risen significantly over the interval — up 10 proportion factors from 81 % in 2011 to 91 % in 2019.

The brand new evaluation additionally incorporates state-level information. KFF researchers discover that in 23 states, not less than 90 % of all non-pediatric office-based physicians accepted new Medicare sufferers in 2015-2017. Throughout all states the share ranged from 76 % in Washington D.C. to 95 % in three states (Iowa, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania), much like the vary for privately-insured sufferers.

The findings are notable as a result of some proponents of doing extra to include well being care prices have proposed adopting Medicare charges, or a a number of of Medicare charges, for many who now have non-public insurance coverage, since Medicare charges are typically decrease. Skeptics of that method – which might contain instantly regulating costs, or making a Medicare-like plan as a public possibility or as a part of a single payer system — have raised issues that shifting in direction of Medicare charges would trigger entry issues.

Throughout a variety of specialties, KFF analysts discover that the share of physicians accepting new Medicare sufferers is much like the share accepting new sufferers with non-public insurance coverage. The share of physicians accepting new sufferers is lowest amongst psychiatrists, with 60 % accepting new Medicare sufferers and 59 % accepting new privately-insured sufferers.

KFF analysts additionally discover {that a} very small share (1%) of non-pediatric physicians formally opted-out of the Medicare program in 2022, with psychiatrists being the more than likely to opt-out (7.5% ). In all states apart from Alaska and Colorado, fewer than 2 % of physicians have opted-out of Medicare.

The truth that the overwhelming majority of physicians are accepting new sufferers doesn’t imply that each one sufferers can have entry to all clinicians, since suppliers could solely be within the networks of some non-public insurance coverage or Medicare Benefit plans.

For extra information and analyses about Medicare visit kff.org.