The National Health Service Corps and Medicaid inpatient care: experience in a southern state.

Background: Since 1970, the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) has worked to increase primary care access among underserved groups. This study examined whether NHSC alumni physicians were likely to treat a high proportion of Medicaid patients in their practices.

Methods: Using licensure files and hospital discharge data, we identified all physicians practicing in South Carolina who attended at least one discharge in 1998, excluding physicians who graduated before 1969, residents, and current NHSC-obligated physicians.