VOLUNTARY SURVEYS MAKE TRACKING STATISTICS DIFFICULT

The only thing more difficult than tracking the number of doctors who accept Medicaid in four area counties is getting an accurate count of all the doctors and specialists working in those counties.

The Southeast Missourian contacted several state and local agencies during the past month in an attempt to compile an accurate count of total physicians and those accepting Medicaid in Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Perry and Scott counties. What the newspaper learned was everyone involved was relying on the same set of numbers, a group that was inaccurate because it relies on voluntary responses from physicians.

Representatives from the Department of Health and other agencies said they conduct statistical studies regarding where medical doctors and doctors of osteopathy live and work based on data received from the Missouri Healing Arts Board, which is the licensure board for the state. Although submitted voluntarily, the information is updated twice yearly and is considered to be accurate, they said.

However, an attempt by the newspaper to compare the physicians working in each of the four area counties to the number of those accepting Medicaid reimbursement in those counties proved the data to be faulty.

For example, there is only one medical doctor in Bollinger County, according to state records. However, state records also indicate there are five general practitioners who accept Medicaid reimbursement in that county.

No one was able to explain the discrepancies.

In addition to the faulty physician totals provided by the state, the Missourian also found inaccuracies and repetition in state records regarding medical providers who accept Medicaid. In some cases, doctors and specialists were listed twice or more depending upon whether they had more than one specialty or if they had both home and business addresses on file.

State officials said they can do little to rectify that situation because those records also are dependent upon voluntary reporting.

Becky Cantrell, executive director of the Cape County Medical Society, said it's difficult to track doctors accurately because they move frequently. Local tracking is only slightly easier because the smaller numbers are easier to update more frequently. However, agencies such as the medical society rely on membership records for accuracy, and membership is not required, she said.

"There are times when I get data from the state and I know my information is better, but even then I'd guess we have about a 95 percent accuracy rate on the local level," she said. "The issue is that not all physicians have to be members of the Cape County Medical Society, so you wind up relying somewhat on state records, which don't have as great an accuracy rate."