Government Healthcare: Investigation Finds that Half of Doctors Listed as Serving Medicaid Patients Are Unavailable to Treat Them

Large numbers of doctors who are listed as serving Medicaid patients are not available to treat them, federal investigators said in a new report.

“Half of providers could not offer appointments to enrollees,” the investigators said in the report, which will be issued on Tuesday.

Many of the doctors were not accepting new Medicaid patients or could not be found at their last known addresses, according to the report from the inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services. The study raises questions about access to care for people gaining Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act, says NYT.

But, hey, the patients are enrolled, so by Paul Krugman standards the program is a success .(SEE: Does Paul Krugman Believe He Has Conquered Death?)