Luring Primary Care Physicians

With the new health care bill enacted, researchers speculate that the U.S. will soon experience a shortage of doctors. The shortage will come mostly in the areas of general practitioners and primary care doctors, who are necessary for treating those with general medical health plans. . A shortage of doctors could mean longer wait times and even more limited access to health care. The new health care bill is supposed to encourage applicants to these areas of medicine by adding a 10% Medicare boost to their salaries.

While last year four new medical schools enrolled nearly 200 students and twelve existing med schools added 150 collective spots, the problem comes from a shortage of residencies. The U.S. has 954,000 doctors today, and 110,000 residency positions according to the AAMC . Medicare pays hospitals to train and pay these residents. In 1997, however, Congress enacted a cap on subsidies for residents. A change on this cap didn’t find its way into the new health care bill, unfortunately. But the law does address the issue by moving the nation’s many unfilled residency spots to primary care residencies.

The ultimate goal is to lure medical students away from the glamour of specialties. Primary care physicians will be increasingly necessary for the government’s medical health plans and discount health care.