Approximately 82% of physician practices are accepting new patients, but that number drops to 75% for Medicare patients and 64% for Medicaid patients, according to a survey by Jackson Healthcare.
Cardiologists and hematologists/oncologists are the most likely to accept new Medicare patients, with urologists, general surgeons, and anesthesiologists not far behind. Adult psychiatrists and plastic surgeons are the least likely to accept new Medicare patients, followed by internists, family physicians, and ob.gyns.
Geographically speaking, physicians in Mississippi, Texas, California, Oregon, and Georgia were the least likely to take new Medicare patients, and 10% of survey respondents said that they do not see any Medicare patients.
A total of 2,232 physicians completed the online survey, which was conducted April 19-26, 2012.
