Do OB-GYNs typically accept Medicaid?

Approximately 28 percent of obstetrics and gynecology doctors (OB/GYNs) do not accept any Medicaid patients, and 34 percent accept all Medicaid patients, notes a report by the Center for Studying Health System Change. One major reason physicians may not accept Medicaid patients is because the program pays less per visit than a private insurance company pays.

There may be valid reasons that OB/GYNs do not always accept new Medicaid patients. They may be too busy to accept any new patients. They may also live in a poorer area and accepting too many Medicaid patients may result in the practice going out of business. Physicians in group practices are more likely to accept new Medicaid patients, notes the Center for Studying Health System Change.