Medicaid patients' access to subspecialty care in Connecticut: teaching clinics questionnaire.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether Medicaid patients have ready access to subspecialty care. METHODS: A survey was administered to training program directors and federal clinic chiefs to ascertain, for each medical and surgical subspecialty, whether their patients had access to care "never, rarely, sometimes, usually, or always." RESULTS: Seventeen respondents indicated that, on average, subspecialty care in Connecticut was available "never, rarely or sometimes," 36% of the time. Results of a smaller national sample, mirrored Connecticut responses. CONCLUSION: Despite government mandates, Medicaid patients have insufficient access to subspecialty care.