One way plans might save money could make it harder for patients to get care — so that they get less of it. Narrow network plans may do this if they don't cover enough nearby providers, with the ones they do cover too busy to take new patients in a timely fashion. Clearly this would be especially problematic if appointments with one's preferred primary care doctor are hard to obtain.
Are today's narrow network plans actually doing this? Until recently, we had no data to answer this question. But two studies published earlier this year — one focused on Massachusetts, the other on California — provide some insight.
