Capping total # of Medicaid patients

[BigSib]

A lot of my colleagues have a cap on the total number of Medicaid patients they accept (150-200 which seems low to me). Do you have a cap on the number of Medicaid patients you accept? Why? What is the number/percent and why?

If you don't accept Medicaid pts - why?

Sent from my Pixel XL using SDN mobile

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[VA Hopeful Dr]

A lot of my colleagues have a cap on the total number of Medicaid patients they accept (150-200 which seems low to me). Do you have a cap on the number of Medicaid patients you accept? Why? What is the number/percent and why?

If you don't accept Medicaid pts - why?

Sent from my Pixel XL using SDN mobile

Generally speaking, if someone does accept it it's because it pays poorly.

 

[deleted480308]

Money. Your landlord, staff, and your student loan financier (sp?) don’t care how benevolent you are...they need to get paid, so you must get paid

 

[deleted87716]

I don't accept Medicaid. It reimburses poorly, and there's a ton of bureaucracy to deal with. Plus, the patients are more likely to be noncompliant and resource-intensive. If you accept Medicaid, you should do it with the recognition that it's basically charity care. I'd rather just volunteer at the free clinic.

 

[PlutoBoy]

A lot of my colleagues have a cap on the total number of Medicaid patients they accept (150-200 which seems low to me). Do you have a cap on the number of Medicaid patients you accept? Why? What is the number/percent and why?

If you don't accept Medicaid pts - why?

Sent from my Pixel XL using SDN mobile

We don't accept Medicaid because of financial reasons. These patients also tend to be pretty difficult to deal with due to the associated socioeconomic issues. There's little to gain and a lot to lose.

 

[DoubleBogey]

I’m RVU based, so doesn’t matter what insurance the pt has as I get paid regardless. I get a decent amount of pts from private practice providers who can’t afford them because they lose money on these pts. Certainly agree with the sentiment that these pts ARE resource intensive and generally have multiple complaints at every visit, no show rate is higher as well. But I’m a new provider and beggars can’t be choosers.

 

[deleted87716]

Some health systems receive Government subsidies for providing care to the underserved, which includes Medicaid. If you're in private practice, however, you don't get any of that.

Some of our doctors do accept Medicaid, however (mostly specialists who have hospital privileges with call requirements to take all comers).

 

[deleted87716]

I’m a new provider and beggars can’t be choosers.

If you lose money with each visit, however, you aren't going to make it up on volume.

 

[FrustratedFamDoc]

I don't cap but I am selective of the new patients that I will see. Like has been said already, the more medicaid heavy you go, the harder you'll work for far less reimbursement. Many acute and chronic problems will never really improve due to numerous factors, eventually leading to more frustration and low satisfaction for you personally. You'll be asked to do and manage things that are out of the scope of what you actually do.

 

[DoubleBogey]

If you lose money with each visit, however, you aren't going to make it up on volume.

Not for me - for private practice providers sure, but not in the RVU based setting

 

[deleted87716]

Not for me - for private practice providers sure, but not in the RVU based setting

I get it. But, if the day should come when your health system isn't making money, you'll feel the pain.

 

[DoubleBogey]

I get it. But, if the day should come when your health system isn't making money, you'll feel the pain.

Absolutely