Family physicians of Latine, Hispanic or Spanish origin and Black physicians — groups that are considered underrepresented in medicine — were more likely to see a higher proportion of patients who are Medicaid beneficiaries compared with white and Asian family physicians, a recent study found.
The study, published in the September issue of Annals of Family Medicine, used 2016 Medicaid claims data from the Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System and from 2016-2017 American Board of Family Medicine certification questionnaire responses for more than 13,000 family physicians. Researchers explored the diversity of family physicians and how many physicians saw more than 150 Medicaid beneficiaries in 2016.
Family physicians who are part of groups underrepresented in medicine also saw a greater proportion of Medicaid beneficiaries from racial and ethnic minorities.
The findings suggest "physician race and ethnicity are correlated with Medicaid participation. … Policies need to address problems in pathways to medical education, including failures to recruit, nurture, and retain underrepresented in medicine students," the researchers wrote.