Primary care doctors who serve the poor in California could get a pay raise starting next year.
The federal government announced Wednesday that states could get eleven billion dollars to bolster payments under programs like Medi-Cal.
Dr. Jim Hay is the president of the California Medical Association. He said more money to Medi-Cal could make more doctors available to patients.
"Medi-Cal patients have a very hard time finding physicians," said Hay. "Fewer than half of the physicians of California are able to afford seeing Medical patients because the reimbursement is so low, it's well below what it costs to deliver the care."
Dr. Hay also said reimbursement for a primary care visit in the state's Medicaid system can be as low as eleven dollars. He explained Medi-Cal has one of the lowest reimbursement rates in the nation.
The increased doctor pay proposal is part of the Affordable Care Act, and would be in effect for two years.
