Secret Shopper Survey Finds New Mexico’s Medicaid MCO Provider Networks ‘Inadequate’

New Mexico’s Medicaid managed care organization (MCO) networks for primary care professionals (PCPs) and behavioral health are inadequate according to a secret shopper survey conducted by the New Mexico Legislative Finance Committee (LFC). The survey consisted of calls to a sample from the Centennial Care 2.0 MCO network directories of nearly 500 PCPs and behavioral health professionals located in seven counties with high Medicaid enrollment growth. Appointments were offered for only 13% of calls. About 15% of PCP calls and 10% of behavioral health calls resulted in an appointment offer.

For half the calls, the network directory had . . .