Executive Summary
Medicaid enrollees can face significant challenges trying to book a timely appointment. Provider directories from Medicaid managed care plans are often inaccurate and outdated, and network providers may stop accepting new Medicaid patients altogether. CMS recently took a big step to address these challenges by requiring annual independent secret shopper surveys to monitor timely enrollee access for key Medicaid provider types. This webinar session brings together experts with direct experience designing and implementing secret shopper surveys. We will explore how state advocates can leverage the new requirement to improve network access in their states, highlight key elements of effective survey design, and flag common methodological problems that can lead to poor results. We will also consider how states might use secret shopper as an equity tool to identify additional access barriers for some underserved communities, including people with disabilities, people with limited English proficiency, and people living in rural areas.
