50 Million New Patients? Expect Doc Shortages [40,000 More Docs Needed-More Third World Docs?]

AP Report ^ | September 13, 2009

[Steelfish]

50 Million New Patients? Expect Doc Shortages Revamped health care system could swamp primary care physicians

BOSTON - Among the many hurdles facing President Barack Obama's plan to revamp the nation's health care system is a shortage of primary care physicians — those legions of overworked doctors who provide the front line of medical care for both the sick and those hoping to stay healthy.

As Massachusetts' experience shows, extending health care to 50 million uninsured Americans will only further stress the system and could force many of those newly insured back into costly emergency rooms for routine care if they can't find a primary care doctor, health care observers said.

Massachusetts, home of the nation's most ambitious health care law, has seen the need for primary care doctors shoot up with the addition of 428,000 people to the ranks of the insured under a 2006 law that mandates health care for nearly all residents.

To keep up with the demand for primary care doctors, the country will need to add another 40,000 to the existing 100,000 doctors over the next decade or face a soaring backlog, according to Dr. Ted Epperly, president of the Kansas-based American Academy of Family Physicians.

"It's like giving everyone free bus passes, but there are only two buses," he said.

The need for more primary care doctors comes as the country's shortage of all doctors is expected to worsen, according to a study by the Association of American Medical Colleges, which found the rate of first-year enrollees in U.S. medical schools has declined steadily since 1980.

[Ted Grant]

My Doctor is from the third word - a classy, educated and good man. I don’t care where the doctors come from, so long as they are competent.

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

Oh, this will be good.

yeah, go ahead...socialize it...in 3 months real mobs will be in the streets begging for a private system!

[JusPasenThru]

Why anyone would go into medicine these days knowing he/she would be controlled by Obamacare is beyond me.

[Drango]

Doesn’t compute???? Just ‘cause health care is now essentially FREE why would more people use it?

Am I slow and can I see a doctor about this?

[tsmith130]

Maybe we should all call every doctor we ever see this week and schedule our appts. 1, 2 and 3 years in advance.

[Leisler]

Obama sucks Doctors away from third world countries, causing millions of deaths of some of the .....poorest and vulnerable.

[cranked]

What happened to Barry’s claimed 30 million....?

[SAJ]

Shoulda stopped after the second word...

[BunnySlippers]

The British health care system has a severe shortage of doctors due to low pay. They have to import doctors from India and Pakistan.

I suppose we’ll get ours from Mexico, Guatemala.

[FlingWingFlyer]

So, we're going to take all the doctors away from the third world countries and "we expect them to say, 'Okay'!" - Barry

Healthcare in third world countries will become nonexistent. All their doctors will come here to work for the BIG government's SEIU Healthcare program.

[irishjuggler]

The need for more primary care doctors comes as the country's shortage of all doctors is expected to worsen, according to a study by the Association of American Medical Colleges, which found the rate of first-year enrollees in U.S. medical schools has declined steadily since 1980.

Any why the heck is this? It's not like there aren't tens of thousands of Americans who want to go to medical but can't get in. I personally know some very bright 20-somethings who graduated from good colleges with good grades but can't seem to get into med school. Here in California, the medical school enrollment in the University of California system has barely increased in 40 years while the state's population has tripled!

[irishjuggler]

The need for more primary care doctors comes as the country's shortage of all doctors is expected to worsen, according to a study by the Association of American Medical Colleges, which found the rate of first-year enrollees in U.S. medical schools has declined steadily since 1980.

Any why the heck is this? It's not like there aren't tens of thousands of Americans who want to go to medical but can't get in. I personally know some very bright 20-somethings who graduated from good colleges with good grades but can't seem to get into med school. Here in California, the medical school enrollment in the University of California system has barely increased in 40 years while the state's population has tripled!

[Evil Slayer]

My wife’s primary doctor just sent a letter to all his patients (including my wife) that he is quiting his practice effective Oct. 15th. We are now having to look for another PD for her. I have heard this from others in our area as well. Also, those who are accepting new patients are NOT accepting those whose primary insurance is Medicare. Gonna get worse.

[Steelfish]

This leads to chain migration. Each doctor will bring in at least 20 family members over a 5-year period. Change the culture, change the nation.

[bergmeid]

They will lower the admission requirements for medical school thereby admitting people that have no business being in medicine in the first place.

[classified]

Influx of PA’s coming in!

[rodguy911]

obamacare without tort reform, plus open borders,rationing won't be necessary, it will happen automatically.

[tbw2]

Better choices include: 1. more physician assistants allowed to act in full medical capacity 2. nurse practitioners allowed to act in full medical capacity 3. elimination of the requirement to take certifying exams in multiple states 4. require medical school enrollment to at least increase at the rate of population increase ObamaCare Jokes Obama Jokes

[2ndDivisionVet]

Almost all of the physicians and P.A.s in the Veterans Affairs hospitals are already Indian, Pakistani and Asian, along with some of the nurses and technicians. Since the V.A. is a government health care system, that is probably the model for ObamaCare. Some are competent and some less so, but you have absolutely no choice as to who your doctor is, so you hope for the best.