The number of physicians serving Medicare patients grew from 2013 to 2023, but program exit rates in rural and underserved areas increased, according to an analysis of Medicare claims data. While the proportion of physicians in the Medicare program grew by 6.3% from 2013 to 2023, physicians living in nonmetropolitan counties were more likely to exit the program compared with those in metropolitan counties (2.71% vs 2.58%), as were physicians living in either full or partial Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) versus others (2.66% and 2.61% vs 2.41%), reported Christopher M. Whaley, PhD, of the Brown University School of Public Health in Providence, Rhode Island, and co-authors in JAMA.
Read the full article: Physician Exits from Medicare Increased in Vulnerable Areas //
Source: https://www.medpagetoday.com/publichealthpolicy/medicare/118052