Access to primary care physicians is only slightly better this year than in 2011, according to an annual survey released Wednesday by the Massachusetts Medical Society. The group found that 49 percent of internal medicine practices and 50 percent of family medicine practices were closed to new patients, a slight improvement from 2011.
The society, between the end of February and the beginning of April, surveyed 830 Massachusetts physician offices by telephone, covering seven areas: family medicine, cardiology, gastroenterology, internal medicine, orthopedic surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, and pediatrics.
Some highlights:
- Between 2010 and 2012, the average wait for an appointment at a family medicine practice has increased from 29 days to 45 days. But the wait for internal medicine has dropped from 53 days to 44 days. Access varied widely by county. In Suffolk, half of family medicine practices and three of every four internal medicine practices were closed to new patients. While in Essex County, nearly two-thirds in each category were accepting new patients.
- Fewer pediatric specialists were accepting new patients this year -- 72 percent compared with 80 percent two years ago. The waiting period for an appointment remained about level at 23 days. Access was most limited on the Cape, where fewer than one in three pediatric practices were accepting new patients and the average wait for an appointment was 58 days. In Suffolk County, half were taking new patients and the average wait was 29 days.
- The large majority of practices surveyed reported that they accept patients with Medicare coverage, though primary care physicians were less likely to do so than specialists. Family medicine and internal medicine practices were least likely to accept patients covered by Medicaid, the government program for the poor and disabled -- 64 percent and 54 percent, respectively. Those figures were up slightly from 2011.
The medical society also conducted telephone surveys with 403 Massachusetts adults selected randomly. Ninety percent said they had seen a primary care physician within the past year and 87 percent said they were satisfied with the health care they receive. Half said the cost of care is the biggest issue facing the state.
The surveys were conducted by Anderson Robbins Research. Download the full report from the society’s website.
Chelsea Conaboy can be reached at cconaboy@boston.com. Follow her on Twitter @cconaboy.