Chronic Illness, Disability Mean Medicare Access Problems

Those with higher rates of problems accessing routine care "include beneficiaries with no supplemental insurance or Medicaid, beneficiaries under age 65 living with a permanent disability, beneficiaries in fair and poor health, beneficiaries with four or more chronic conditions, and beneficiaries with lower incomes," according a Kaiser Family Foundation brief on Medicare patients' access to physicians.

However, they don't report significant problems gaining access to their physician when care is needed, according to the report, which examined previous studies from various sources on the topic.

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) separately found that minorities reported longer wait times for appointments, commission staff said during a meeting this week.

http://www.medpagetoday.com/PublicHealthPolicy/Medicare/43432