The shortage of nurses in the United States is well documented. As baby boom-generation nurses retire and others leave the profession because of burn-out, the shortage will continue to increase. What is not discussed as often in mainstream press is the shortage of physicians.
The shortage of primary care doctors will have the most impact on people without insurance and people who’ll need long term care, such as older Americans. Because a medical education is so expensive, many are opting to specialize in a particular field to earn more money. (Kaiser Network)
One proposal to remedy the shortage would be to increase Medicare payments to primary care physicians and reduce payments to specialists. MedPAC recommends increasing reimbursements by 10 percent. Senator Max Baucus said, “Primary care physicians are grossly underpaid compared with many specialists.”
The Association of American Medical Colleges says a 30 percent increase in medical school enrollment would produce about 5,000 more doctors every year.
