As key congressional committees consider legislation to repeal Medicare's physician payment formula, a new study shows that the program's beneficiaries have generally good access to doctors. The report, prepared by the Kaiser Family Foundation, found that 96 percent of beneficiaries report having access to a doctor's office or clinic, and about 90 percent of beneficiaries say they can schedule timely appointments for routine and specialty care. (KHN is an editorially independent program of the Foundation.) About 2 percent of beneficiaries report problems finding a new physician, a rate comparable to privately insured adults ages 50 to 64, according to the analysis.
