More on the Meaning of “Universal Coverage”

Doctors are primary care physicians who accept all or most new Medicaid patients. Calculations assume that Medicaid payments are increased to Medicare levels for primary care services indefinitely, even though the law allows this for only two years. If doctors perceive that the fee schedule increase is only temporary, the physician totals will be much lower. They could be zero or negative. Source: Peter Cunningham, “State Variation in Primary Care Physician Supply: Implications for Health Reform Medicaid Expansions.”