Who is taking new patients? Plan lists by provider type
Marketplace plan lists must say whether each provider takes new patients. We checked 1,909,677 listings. Overall, 10.06% say no and 13.16% do not say. It varies by provider type. Chiropractors say no most often, at 25.69%. Family doctors say no more often than family nurse practitioners.
The short version
When you pick a plan, you want to know two things about a doctor. Are they in the network? And will they see you?
Plan lists answer the second question with a flag: accepting new patients, yes or no.
We checked that flag across every provider type. Some types are much more likely to say no.
The rule behind the flag
Insurers on the federal marketplace must publish this.
Under 45 CFR 156.230, a plan must publish "an up-to-date, accurate, and complete provider directory." That includes "information on which providers are accepting new patients."
So the flag is required. Whether each one is right is a separate question, which we come back to below.
What we checked
We used the provider lists that marketplace insurers publish for 2026. Our dataset holds 1,909,677 providers, with one new-patient value for each.
We matched each provider to the federal provider registry. That gave us each provider's main specialty, using the official NUCC provider taxonomy names.
All but 62 providers matched the registry.
The overall picture
| New-patient flag | Providers | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Accepting | 1,466,295 | 76.78% |
| Not accepting | 192,127 | 10.06% |
| Not stated | 251,255 | 13.16% |
| Total | 1,909,677 | 100% |
About one listing in ten says no. More than one in eight says nothing at all.
Primary care: doctors vs nurse practitioners
| Provider type | Providers listed | Not accepting new patients | Share not accepting | Not stated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Internal medicine doctor | 57,415 | 7,818 | 13.62% | 7.60% |
| Family medicine doctor | 78,100 | 10,479 | 13.42% | 9.27% |
| Physician assistant | 71,129 | 9,382 | 13.19% | 0.20% |
| Pediatrician | 30,999 | 3,500 | 11.29% | 6.17% |
| OB-GYN | 22,531 | 2,435 | 10.81% | 6.71% |
| Family nurse practitioner | 106,955 | 10,957 | 10.24% | 1.18% |
Family medicine doctors say no 13.42% of the time. Family nurse practitioners say no 10.24% of the time.
There are also more family nurse practitioners listed: 106,955, against 78,100 family medicine doctors.
Mental health: who says no most
| Provider type | Providers listed | Not accepting new patients | Share not accepting | Not stated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marriage and family therapist | 15,983 | 2,564 | 16.04% | 5.98% |
| Mental health counselor | 70,128 | 10,491 | 14.96% | 7.41% |
| Clinical psychologist | 16,215 | 1,607 | 9.91% | 9.61% |
| Clinical social worker | 91,515 | 9,031 | 9.87% | 5.90% |
| Psychiatrist | 19,966 | 1,729 | 8.66% | 9.66% |
| Psychiatric nurse practitioner | 32,045 | 2,490 | 7.77% | 6.05% |
| Professional counselor | 57,268 | 4,066 | 7.10% | 5.51% |
Marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors say no most often in this group.
Psychiatrists say no less often than counselors, at 8.66%. Psychiatric nurse practitioners are lower still, at 7.77%.
Other common care
| Provider type | Providers listed | Not accepting new patients | Share not accepting | Not stated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiropractor | 40,486 | 10,400 | 25.69% | 18.53% |
| Physical therapist | 66,336 | 8,136 | 12.26% | 6.77% |
| Ophthalmologist | 14,417 | 1,643 | 11.40% | 12.58% |
| Orthopaedic surgeon | 12,985 | 1,068 | 8.22% | 11.58% |
| Cardiologist | 13,273 | 1,069 | 8.05% | 8.14% |
| Optometrist | 61,280 | 4,316 | 7.04% | 11.77% |
| General dentist | 51,475 | 2,786 | 5.41% | 8.02% |
Chiropractors stand out. One in four says no, and another 18.53% do not say either way.
Doctor vs nurse practitioner, side by side
| Type of care | Doctor says no | Nurse practitioner says no |
|---|---|---|
| Family care | 13.42% (family medicine doctor) | 10.24% (family nurse practitioner) |
| Mental health | 8.66% (psychiatrist) | 7.77% (psychiatric nurse practitioner) |
In both pairs, the nurse practitioner is listed as not accepting less often.
We are not saying why. These are what the lists say, not a measure of real wait times.
Why "not stated" matters
A blank flag is not a yes.
For some types the gap is large. Chiropractors are blank 18.53% of the time and ophthalmologists 12.58%.
If the flag is blank, call before you count on that provider.
Can you trust a "yes"?
Not fully. We report what the plan lists say. We did not call each office to check.
A listing can say yes after an office has closed its books. It can also say no after an office has reopened.
Our post on why your plan's doctor list can be wrong covers the wider problem.
How to use this when you choose a plan
- Find two or three providers you would see, not just one.
- Check the new-patient flag for each one, in the plan you are buying.
- Treat "not stated" as unknown.
- Call the office. Ask if they take new patients on that exact plan.
- If you need mental health care, look at counselors, social workers and nurse practitioners as well as psychiatrists.
What this does not tell you
Our data covers the provider lists marketplace insurers publish for 2026. It does not cover employer plans or Medicaid.
We keep one new-patient value per provider. A provider who works at several offices may take new patients at one and not another.
We used each provider's main specialty from the registry. Some providers work in more than one area.
Where these numbers come from
Every figure in this post comes from our own database, queried live on the day of publication.
- Providers: 1,909,677 providers in our 2026 marketplace provider-list dataset
- New-patient flag: the accepting-new-patients value in those lists
- Specialty: each provider's main taxonomy code in the federal provider registry; 1,909,615 matched
- Names: from the NUCC provider taxonomy code set, version 26.1
Questions people ask
How many providers on plan lists are not taking new patients?
In our data, 192,127 of 1,909,677 providers are listed as not accepting new patients. That is 10.06%. Another 251,255, or 13.16%, do not say.
Which provider types say no most often?
Among common types, chiropractors say no most often, at 25.69%. Marriage and family therapists are next at 16.04%, then mental health counselors at 14.96%.
Are nurse practitioners easier to get in with than doctors?
On paper, slightly. Family nurse practitioners are listed as not accepting 10.24% of the time. Family medicine doctors are at 13.42%. We have not measured real wait times.
Are psychiatrists taking new patients?
Most say yes. In our data, 8.66% of psychiatrists are listed as not accepting new patients, and 9.66% do not say.
Do insurers have to show if a doctor takes new patients?
Yes, on the federal marketplace. The rule requires an "up-to-date, accurate, and complete provider directory" that shows which providers are accepting new patients.
What does it mean if the flag is blank?
It means the list does not say. Treat it as unknown and call the office before you rely on that provider.
Can a provider list say yes when the office is full?
Yes. The flag is only as current as the insurer's last update. Always call to confirm.
Does this cover my employer plan?
No. These numbers come from marketplace plan lists for 2026. Employer and Medicaid plans are not included.