title: Trends in Medicaid physician fees, 2003-2008.
abstract: Medicaid physician fees increased 15.1 percent, on average, between 2003 and 2008. This was below the general rate of inflation, resulting in a reduction in real fees. Only primary care fees grew at the rate of inflation-20 percent between 2003 and 2008. However, because of slow growth in Medicare fees, Medicaid fees closed a small portion of their ongoing gap relative to Medicare-growing from 69 percent to 72 percent of Medicare. The increase in Medicaid fees relative to Medicare fees resulted from relative increases for primary care and obstetrical services, but not for other services.
authors.affiliation: Urban Institute's Health Policy Center, in Washington, DC, USA. szuckerman@urban.org
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zuckerman
authors.forename: Aimee F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Karen E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Stockley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019090:Case Management / Q000639:trends; D005245:Fee Schedules / Q000639:trends; D018588:Fee-for-Service Plans / Q000639:trends; D005251:Fees, Medical / Q000639:trends*; D005544:Forecasting; D006279:Health Maintenance Organizations / Q000639:trends; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D007250:Inflation, Economic / Q000639:trends; D019458:Insurance Coverage / Q000639:trends; D008484:Medicaid / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends*; D006278:Medicare / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends; D015442:Medicare Assignment / Q000639:trends; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000639:trends; D014481:United States