Primary care docs easier to find in ACA plans than Medicaid, study finds

Narrow networks have become commonplace in both ACA plans and Medicaid, used by payers to control costs and ensure physicians provide quality care by meeting specific measures. Those networks remain rare in the employer-sponsored market, though. 

Members usually prefer broader networks, and narrower networks can increase frustrations and disrupt continuity of care.

The study authors suggested that the results provide insight into the challenges that patients face. The findings can also "assist policymakers in recognizing the trade-offs involved in allocating scarce resources while improving access to high-quality healthcare."