Experts warn there won't be enough doctors to treat the millions of people newly insured under the law. At current graduation and training rates, the nation could face a shortage of as many as 150,000 doctors in the next 15 years, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.
That shortfall is predicted despite a push by teaching hospitals and medical schools to boost the number of U.S. doctors, which now totals about 954,000.
The greatest demand will be for primary-care physicians. These general practitioners, internists, family physicians and pediatricians will have a larger role under the new law, coordinating care for each patient.
The U.S. has 352,908 primary-care doctors now, and the college association estimates that 45,000 more will be needed by 2020. But the number of medical-school students entering family medicine fell more than a quarter between 2002 and 2007.
A shortage of primary-care and other physicians could mean more-limited access to health care and longer wait times for patients.
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3 comments:
The bigger shortage will be the loss of current, experienced physicians that will be quitting their practice or going into early retirement. Doctors will soon feel the burden of increased government interference and reduced payment for services. Add to this the procedural restrictions and the reporting requirements and many good doctors will be heard saying "It's just not worth it!"
There is a primary care shortage not because of lawsuits. It is because the way the system is set up there is no reward for preventive care. The money is in the specialties -- more surgery, more money. More heart procedures, more money. The average family doctor makes less than a certified registered nurse anesthetist. Which means a family doc makes 1/3 of what an anesthesiologist makes. So why would anyone want to go into primary care? The solution has been and will continue to be foreign medical graduates. Hopefully with the new health care bill we can have a focus on preventive medicine and reward the hard working internists and family practitioners for keeping their patients healthy and away from the hospitals...
More room for Nurse Practitioners.....yeah baby.
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