Is The US Doctor Shortage Getting Worse?
- By Locums, Inc
- •
- 06 Feb, 2019
A Shortfall Of Up To 100,000 Physicians Is Expected In The U.S By 2025 By 2025, there will be an estimated shortfall of 35,600 primary care physicians and non-primary care specialties are set to experience a shortfall of 60,300 physicians.[1] These findings, made in 2016, are consistent with a 2015 report which also reported there…
The post Is The US Doctor Shortage Getting Worse? appeared first on Locums, Inc..
A Shortfall Of Up To 100,000 Physicians Is Expected In The U.S By 2025
By 2025, there will be an estimated shortfall of 35,600 primary care physicians and non-primary care specialties are set to experience a shortfall of 60,300 physicians.
These findings, made in 2016, are consistent with a 2015 report which also reported there will be a steep decline in specialists. This could not come at a worse time as the demand for physicians in America is on the rise.
It is especially bad news given the Trump administrations’ proposed travel ban which could see an estimated 70,000 physicians—if the band is put into full affect—forced to leave the country.
Primary Care Physicians In Highest Demand
It’s possible primary care physicians will make up a third of the looming shortage—making it even more difficult for you to see your primary care physician.
Primary care physicians handle check-ups as well as referring patients on to specialists. Essentially, these are our first line of defense for our health. Without access to regular checkups, it could cause American hospitals to see an overspill of seriously ill patients.
What This Means For Patients
The primary care gap is more acute in roughly one-third of states, with these states having less than half of their primary care needs met.
The following numbers shows the percentage of care primary each state has, according to government statistics
[2]
:
- Connecticut: 15%
- Missouri: 30%
- Rhode Island 33%
- Alaska: 35%
- North Dakota: 37%
Because doctors tend to cluster in big cities with high population density, it means the rural areas—as well as smaller communities—have a hard time acquiring and keeping primary care physicians. Which makes it more difficult for patients in those areas to acquire the health care they require on a regular basis.
What This Means For Health Care Facility Managers
Since primary care physicians are paid less than specialists, it’s treated as either a stepping stone into a specialty, or ignored completely.
The starting salary for specialties can range from $350,000 to as much as $600,000. In stark contrast, a primary care physician earns between $188,000 and a $199,000.
For health care facility managers, this makes it difficult to find and keep primary care physicians. Fewer American medical students are choosing this path, and those who normally would fill the numbers are on the verge on never being allowed back into the country—at least with the current president in power.
The Shortage Of Doctors Is Only Getting Worse
The reason fewer Americans are choosing to become primary care physicians isn’t just the money. Although that certainly plays a role.
The other problem, beside pay, is that being a primary care physician isn’t seen as glamorous—after all, a primary care physician doesn’t perform heart surgery, or brain surgery. All they really do is help to prevent you needing any sort of major surgery. Or, at least, mitigating some of the damage,
If you liked this article, please share or contact us at 855-562-8648.