About The Study: This study characterized trends in the number of physicians participating in the Medicare program from 2013 to 2023 and identified physician- and county-level characteristics associated with program exit. Consistent with previous work, this study found a 6.3% increase in participating physicians, but physicians located in nonmetropolitan counties and full-shortage Health Professional Shortage Area counties were more likely to exit the program. The increased likelihood of Medicare program exits will likely reduce access to care for already underserved communities.
Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Christopher M. Whaley, PhD, email christopher_whaley@brown.edu .
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(doi:10.1001/jama.2025.15343)
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