A few doctors will see some of you

WASHINGTON (Sept. 23, 2024)-Latino and Black family medicine doctors are significantly more likely to participate in the Medicaid program and care for higher numbers of Medicaid patients compared to their White and Asian peers. So says a new study published today by researchers at the George Washington University.

The study’s results fit with other findings that suggest minority doctors are more likely to return to communities of color and set up a practice. Many of the people living in such communities suffer from higher than average rates of chronic health problems and traditionally have had less access to health care.

“Our research suggests Black and Latino family medicine doctors play a crucial role in providing health care for people living in marginalized communities,” said Anushree Vichare, the lead author and a researcher at the Fitzhugh Mullan Institute for Health Workforce Equity at the GW Milken Institute School of Public Health “We must redouble our efforts to increase the number of Black and Latinos going into medical school as well as develop strategies that would help others who are underrepresented in the physician workforce enter the profession and thrive.”

Vichare and her colleagues documented the contribution of Black and Latino family medicine doctors in caring for the Medicaid community by linking physician race and ethnicity to national-level claims data. The study examines several family physician and practice characteristics that have not been examined by other researchers.

The results suggest that even after controlling for a number of different factors, physician race and ethnicity is correlated with their level of participation in the Medicaid program. Medicaid is the federal state health insurance program for the poor. Some physicians do not participate in the program or accept Medicaid patients because the payment rates are much lower than those provided by private insurance and providers often cite onerous Medicaid administrative requirements as barriers to participation, Vichare said.

To reduce health inequities, communities of color must have access to medical care and this study suggests that a more diverse family physician workforce would help facilitate that goal, she said.

“Building a more diverse and representative health workforce leads to better healthcare for all and is also imperative from a social justice standpoint,” Vichare said. “We, as a society must ensure that individuals underrepresented in medicine are given fair and equal opportunities to pursue medical degrees. It is also essential to foster an inclusive culture within healthcare institutions that values diversity and promotes retention and professional growth of diverse staff.”

The study, “A Few Doctors Will See Some of You: The Critical Role of Underrepresented in Medicine Family Physicians in the Care of Medicaid Patients.” was published in the September/October issue of Annals of Family Medicine. The research was supported by a grant from the American Board of Family Medicine Foundation.

-GW-