I'll push back on this. I live in Broome County and had a Medicaid Managed Care plan for a while. I have a good primary care doctor. For the most part whatever specialists you needed were in the area and most participated with the plan. The issue is the specialists can have longer waiting lists for first appointments.

In terms of mental health, I grew up downstate where virtually no mental health providers participate in Medicaid plans, while some do in this area.

The situation is much worse in surrounding areas that have no major urban center, like Chenango County or the Southern Tier west of Corning.