New Managed Care Findings Has Been Reported by Researchers at Duke University Medical Center (Access to pediatric eye care among Medicaid-insured children in North Carolina): Managed Care

2026 JUN 01 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Researchers detail new data in Managed Care. According to news reporting from Durham, North Carolina, by NewsRx journalists, research stated, “Individuals with Medicaid/Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in North Carolina face significant barriers to accessing eye care, including limited provider participation and long wait times. The purpose of this study was to investigate the availability of pediatric eye care services and participation in Medicaid among ophthalmology (MD) and optometry (OD) practices in North Carolina.”

The news correspondents obtained a quote from the research from Duke University Medical Center, “A cross-sectional telephone survey was conducted with 368 randomly sampled practices stratified by county population density quartiles. The sampled practices represent 24% of all ophthalmology and optometry practices statewide. Front-desk staff were queried about pediatric service availability, Medicaid participation, and appointment wait times, for a hypothetical routine eye examination. Data were analyzed using ch tests and logistic regression. A total of 368 practices were surveyed, of which 246 completed the survey. Combined MD/OD practices were more likely than MD-only or OD-only practices to accept Medicaid (P < 0.001). Larger practices (>5 providers) were more likely to accept Medicaid (86% vs 64% [P < 0.01]). Of the practices participating in the survey, 44% provided routine eye care to children 0-5 years of age, compared with 84% providing care to children 6-17 years of age (P < 0.0001). Among Medicaid-participating practices, 56% provided routine eye care for children aged 0-5 years, whereas 100% provided routine eye care to children aged 6-17 (P < 0.0001). Medicaid patients faced median appointment wait times of 46 days, compared with 14 days for privately insured patients at non-Medicaid practices (P < 0.001). Of Medicaid-participating practices, 20% did not provide Medicaid-covered spectacles. Low reimbursement (43%), administrative burden (30%), and corporate policies (27%) were cited as key barriers by practices not accepting Medicaid.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “Access barriers for Medicaid-insured children in North Carolina are primarily driven by practice-level participation policies, administrative complexity, and reimbursement concerns, with younger children facing disproportionate vulnerability.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Access to pediatric eye care among Medicaid-insured children in North Carolina. Journal of Aapos, 2026:104857. Journal of Aapos can be contacted at: Mosby-elsevier, 360 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010-1710, USA. (Elsevier - www.elsevier.com; Journal of Aapos - http://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-aapos/)

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Nathan L. Cheung, Dept. of Ophthalmology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina. Additional authors for this research include Emily J. Liu and Sharon F. Freedman.

Publisher contact information for the Journal of Aapos is: Mosby-elsevier, 360 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010-1710, USA.

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