The Medicaid population presents a challenge for many health care providers. Frustrated by low reimbursement rates and high patient complexity, some independent physician practices have closed their doors to Medicaid. But realistically, this strategy is a non-starter for most employed medical groups, who must consider broader health system impacts such as emergency department utilization and community benefit. As a result, employed medical groups must strengthen Medicaid patient access to physician services.

This briefing summarizes the medical group’s three discrete—though not mutually exclusive—options for doing so, which includepartnering with existing community clinics, establishing their own Medicaid-focused primary care clinic, and bolstering Medicaid access across existing practices.