Inaccurate directories of physicians covered by an insurance plan may give policyholders very few options and lead to the government approving plans that don’t meet provider availability standards, according to a study in JAMA Dermatology.
A team of researchers found that more than half of the dermatologists in Medicare Advantage plan directories were either deceased, retired, not accepting new patients, or specialized only in specific conditions. Meanwhile, the study noted, insurance plans offered through Medicare are increasingly narrowing their networks by eliminating contracts with physicians.
Medscape notes that of the 4754 dermatologists listed in the directories examined by researchers, 45.5% were duplicate entries, 17.9% were unreachable and 8.5% represented a physician who had died, retired or moved away. In total, “only 26.6% of the listings were nonduplicates that would connect the fictional patient to a provider who would take their insurance and offer an appointment.”