The growing shortage is due to a number of factors. Healthcare reform will lead to new people gaining insurance coverage, putting additional strain on the physician population.
On top of that, 75 percent of medical school residency programs are paid for by Medicare, and the number of accepted residency students has been capped at the same number for 15 years. Also, the cost of training residents continues to grow, according to the report.
“The training programs know that they are not now able to train the numbers of physicians that are going to be needed,” Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.), said in the report.
Finding a solution to the problem will not be easy. Residency program funding will need reform. There is also legislation being introduced into House of Representatives that will aim to increase the residency cap, according to the report.
More Articles on the Physician Shortage:
50% of Primary Care Physicians in Massachusetts Won’t Accept New Patients
Georgia Hospitals Establish Consortium to Help Curb Physician Shortages
Experts Say It’s Too Late to Solve Exacerbated Physician Shortage
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