Understanding Barriers to Accessing Specialty Care Under Medicaid Expansion

A study in this month's Medicaid themed issue explored the obstacles standing between Medicaid beneficiaries and access to specialty care in states that have expanded Medicaid. It also discussed strategies that community health centers may use to help their Medicaid patients obtain visits with specialists.

While community health centers provide a safety net for millions of low-income patients in the United States, these health centers typically deliver primary care and often face challenges when referring their patients to specialty care services.

A study in this month’s Medicaid themed issue explored the obstacles standing between Medicaid beneficiaries and access to specialty care in states that have expanded Medicaid. It also discussed strategies that community health centers may use to help their Medicaid patients obtain visits with specialists. To dive deeper into these the study findings, we spoke with the study’s lead researcher, Justin W. Timbie, PhD, senior health policy researcher at RAND Corporation.

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Specialty Care Access for Medicaid Enrollees in Expansion States