PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Melnikow, Joy AU - Evans, Ethan AU - Xing, Guibo AU - Durbin, Shauna AU - Ritley, Dominique AU - Daniels, Brock AU - Woodworth, Lindsey TI - Primary Care Access to New Patient Appointments for California Medicaid Enrollees: A Simulated Patient Study AID - 10.1370/afm.2502 DP - 2020 May 01 TA - The Annals of Family Medicine PG - 210--217 VI - 18 IP - 3 4099 - http://www.annfammed.org/content/18/3/210.short 4100 - http://www.annfammed.org/content/18/3/210.full SO - Ann Fam Med2020 May 01; 18 AB - PURPOSE We undertook a study to evaluate variation in the availability of primary care new patient appointments for Medi-Cal (California Medicaid) enrollees in Northern California, and its relationship to emergency department (ED) use after Medicaid expansion.METHODS We placed simulated calls by purported Medi-Cal enrollees to 581 primary care clinicians (PCCs) listed as accepting new patients in online directories of Medi-Cal managed care plans. Data from the California Health Interview Survey, Medi-Cal enrollment reports, and California hospital discharge records were used in analyses. We developed multilevel, mixed-effect models to evaluate variation in appointment access. Multiple linear regression was used to examine the relationship between primary care access and ED use by county.RESULTS Availability of PCC new patient appointments to Medi-Cal enrollees lacking a PCC varied significantly across counties in the multilevel model, ranging from 77 enrollees (95% CI, 70-81) to 472 enrollees (95% CI, 378-628) per each available new patient appointment. Just 19% of PCCs had available appointments within the state-mandated 10 business days. Clinicians at Federally Qualified Health Centers had higher availability of new patient appointments (rate ratio = 1.56; 95% CI, 1.24-1.97). Counties with poorer PCC access had higher ED use by Medi-Cal enrollees.CONCLUSIONS In contrast to findings from other states, access to primary care in Northern California was limited for new patient Medi-Cal enrollees and varied across counties, despite standard statewide reimbursement rates. Counties with more limited access to primary care new patient appointments had higher ED use by Medi-Cal enrollees.