Medical Report: Mental health care lacking for Medicaid patients, study finds

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — There is disturbing news for those seeking care for mental health issues.

Cornell University researchers studied access to care for Medicaid patients in four major cities, New York, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Chicago. They found that less than 1 in 5 clinicians who were listed as in-network for Medicaid were reachable, accepted Medicaid and offered appointments for care.

Overall, more than 90% of psychiatrists did not accept Medicaid. For those offering appointments, wait times were lengthy, ranging from 11 days in Phoenix to 64 days in Los Angeles.

This is a major gap in access to care and, according to the study authors, state health officials need to examine the issue.

Get more medical reports from Dr. Brian McDonough .

​​KYW Newsradio’s Medical Reports are sponsored by Independence Blue Cross.