Promoting the House Republican health proposal that massively cuts federal Medicaid spending, top Administration officials continue to insist that fewer providers are willing to serve Medicaid patients. Studies, however, show that Medicaid beneficiaries have comparable access to care to people with commercial insurance. Moreover, the House proposal would make providers less willing to accept new Medicaid patients because it would likely force states to cut payments to doctors and other providers, threatening access to care for millions of children, seniors, and parents.
“More and more Medicaid recipients aren't actually able to get coverage,” White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said this week. “Again, it's one thing to have a card. It's another thing to walk into a doctor's office and then to tell you, we no longer accept Medicaid anymore. That's not care.” Spicer's statement echoes Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price's repeated argument that we need to radically restructure Medicaid and cap federal Medicaid funds because many physicians won't take new Medicaid patients.
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