The Homa Files

Real case :   Wife Kathy called to get an appointment with a demotologist to have a suspicious mark checked out.  First open slot – mid October… in 10 weeks.

Ken’s Take: So, will cutting pay rates for docs increase or decrease the supply of doctors – who get trained & certified, and who stay in the doctoring business.  Do any of the bills being circulated provide for more seats at existing med schools or funding new medical schools.  Answer: no.

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Knowledge@Wharton,  Another Hurdle to Health Care Reform: Too Few General Practice Doctors,  July 22, 2009 

According to a recent survey by Merritt Hawkins, the average wait time to see a family doctor for a routine physical ranged from seven days in Miami to 63 days in Boston.

In eight of 15 metropolitan areas surveyed by the company, it took at least 14 days to be seen by a family physician.

Why ?

The American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) projects that … there will be a be a shortage of 124,000 doctors of all types by 2025, although the number could climb to as high as 159,000.

The supply of primary care physicians is already tight in some parts of the country, and finding a general practice doctor will probably become even harder if the pool of insured Americans expands.

“The biggest chokepoint in the health care system will be the availability of primary care doctors,”  … The physician bodies just aren’t there.”

Experts are particularly worried about a dearth of doctors to focus on primary care services, including routine checkups and sick visits. There are already primary care physician shortages

Full article
http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=2297

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