Access to urologic care for children in California: Medicaid versus private insurance.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the access to urologic care for a child with cryptorchidism insured by Medi-Cal versus one insured by private insurance. Medi-Cal (California State Medicaid) is a joint state and federal health insurance program that plays a significant role in providing healthcare coverage to low-income children.


METHODS
A total of 54 randomly chosen urology offices throughout California were surveyed by telephone to determine whether the office accepted pediatric patients, accepted Medi-Cal, and when the earliest appointment date would be for a patient with Medi-Cal versus one with private insurance.


RESULTS
Of the 46 practices that accepted pediatric patients, 96% offered a new patient appointment to a child with private insurance, but only 41% were willing to offer an appointment to a child with Medi-Cal (P < 0.0001). Of the offices that would not see a child with Medi-Cal, 75% were unable to recommend a urology office that might accept Medi-Cal.


CONCLUSIONS
Children insured by Medi-Cal have significantly less access to necessary urologic care compared with children with private insurance.
Division of Urology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA. ahwang@chla.usc.edu
Andrew H
AH
Hwang
Margaret M
MM
Hwang
Hui-Wen
HW
Xie
Brian E
BE
Hardy
David L
DL
Skaggs
D002140:California; D002648:Child; D003456:Cryptorchidism / Q000628:therapy*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007348:Insurance, Health; D008297:Male; D008484:Medicaid; D017149:Private Sector; D014572:Urology