New Study Highlights Problems Accessing Specialty Care for Children on Public Insurance

Joanna Bisgaier, M.S.W., and Karin V. Rhodes, M.D.

Evidence suggests that the 37 million children covered by Medicaid-CHIP are less likely to receive specialty care than children covered by commercial insurance. Children covered by Medicaid-CHIP may face greater barriers to specialist care as a result of fewer resources within their families, including lower levels of income, education, language proficiency, and health literacy. Another possible explanation for disparities is that specialists choose not to accept public insurance. In contrast to patient-related or family-related barriers, which are less malleable to change, provider-related barriers are potentially modifiable through health care policies. Read the entire study HERE.