Study: Average Wait for Doctor’s Appointment in Cities Was 18.5 Days

New patients in 15 U.S. metropolitan cities in 2013 had to wait an average of 18.5 days to see a doctor, compared with 20.4 days in 2009, the year before the Affordable Care Act was enacted, according to a new Merritt Hawkins study, Kaiser Health News/Washington Post's "Wonkblog" reports.

Study Details

For the study, researchers contacted between June and November 2013 1,399 medical offices that specialize in cardiology, dermatology, family practice, gynecology/obstetrics and orthopedic surgery.

They asked the practices for the first available appointment for a new patient seeking routine care.

The study surveyed medical practices in 15 cities:

• Atlanta;
• Boston;
• Dallas;
• Denver;
• Detroit;
• Houston;
• Los Angeles;
• Miami;
• Minneapolis;
• New York City;
• Philadelphia;
• Portland;
• San Diego;
• Seattle; and
• Washington, D.C.

Study Findings

The researchers found that new patients had to wait an average of 18.5 days in the 15 cities.

They also found that:

• The longest wait times were in Boston, where patients would have to wait an average of 72 days to see a dermatologist and 66 days to see a family physician; and
• The shortest wait times were in Dallas, where patients would have to wait an average of 10.2 days for all specialists and five days for a family physician.

In addition, the survey found that fewer physicians in metropolitan areas were accepting Medicaid in 2013 than in 2009.

About 45.7% of physicians said they would accept Medicaid in 2013, down from 55.4% in 2009. Acceptance of Medicaid in the latest survey varied from 73% in Boston to 23% in Dallas.

Meanwhile, about 76% of physicians said they accepted Medicare (Gold, "Wonkblog," Kaiser Health News/Washington Post, 1/29).