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PHYSICIAN PAYMENT AND PRENATAL CARE ACCESS FOR HETEROGENEOUS PATIENTS
Author(s) -
Travis Karen M.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
economic inquiry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.823
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1465-7295
pISSN - 0095-2583
DOI - 10.1111/j.1465-7295.1999.tb01418.x
Subject(s) - medicaid , payment , business , prenatal care , actuarial science , family medicine , public economics , demographic economics , medicine , health care , economics , finance , environmental health , economic growth , population
Changes in prospective payments to reimburse physicians for serving Medicaid patients have been rising in many States. Policy makers anticipate that higher fees will increase access to services. This paper explores whether physicians respond to the increased payment by increasing access differentially by patient type. Physicians may gain from serving only those patients expected to be of low medical risk and cost. Empirical tests using Medicaid data from 1988 to 1991 for prenatal care provision in Washington State show fees are significant in improving access to care for the average patient with significantly greater improvement for Hispanics and single patients. ( JEL I11, I18)