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MCC finds barriers to accessing prenatal care in Norristown
In 2005 and 2006, MCC staff called each listed provider for all three Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs) as well as Philadelphia Health Care Centers to learn how long the wait was for the first available prenatal care appointment. The charts below summarize what we learned.
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| The first chart shows the averaged results for all three MCOs. In 2006, the waits for prenatal care remained about the same as in 2005, averaging 5.5 weeks. A shocking discovery: while an average of 39 providers in 2005 were listed on the MCOs websites, an average of 3 were actually available to provide prenatal care; in 2006, an average of 29 providers were listed with an average of 2 actually available. Often, individual providers listed on the websites were listed more than once, had moved, no longer provided OB care, or did not take the insurance plan for which they were listed. |
Prenatal appointments in Norristown, averages of all three MCOs
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Listed Providers |
Actual # of unduplicated providers |
Individual providers available
|
Average wait time for an appointment |
August, 2005 |
39 |
38* |
5 |
6** weeks |
August, 2006 |
29 |
22 |
8 |
5.5 weeks |
*Information missing from two Managed Care Organization
**Information missing from one Managed Care Organization |
The charts below show the individual data collected for each of the three managed care organizations (MCOs). |
Prenatal appointments in Norristown, for MCO #1
MCO # 1
|
Listed Providers |
Actual # of unduplicated providers |
Individual providers available
|
Average wait time for an appointment |
August, 2005 |
69 |
38 |
6 |
5 weeks |
August, 2006 |
32 |
18 |
11 |
5 weeks |
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Prenatal appointments in Norristown, for MCO #2
MCO # 2 |
Listed Providers |
Actual # of unduplicatedproviders
|
Individual providers available
|
Average wait time for an appointment |
August, 2005 |
24 |
? |
2 |
7 weeks |
August, 2006 |
17 |
16 |
10 |
7.5 weeks |
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Prenatal appointments in Norristown, for MCO #3
MCO # 3 |
Listed Providers |
Actual # of unduplicated
providers |
Individual providers available
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Average wait time for an appointment |
August, 2005 |
22 |
? |
7 |
N/A |
August, 2006 |
38 |
33 |
4 |
4 Weeks |
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Read more of our research on maternal and child health in our Childbirth at a Crossroads report.
Learn about our press conference unveiling Childbirth at a Crossroads.
Childbirth at a Crossroads in the News:
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