In recent years, the United States has faced a shortage of primary care physicians, also called family doctors. This issue has far-reaching consequences for the health care system, and the shortage is expected to become more severe in the coming years.
The American Medical Association projects that by 2034, we’ll have a shortage of between 17,800 and 48,000 primary care physicians.
2 Factors Increase Strain on the Health Care System
A September 2022 report from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) noted that nearly 98 million Americans live in a primary-care health professional shortage area.
This shortage can be attributed to several factors.
Aging Population
One factor is the aging of the population. As the baby boomer generation ages, they require more medical care, and this demand for care is not being met by an adequate supply of primary care physicians….