The Coming Physician Shortage and Health Care Reform

Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Wesley J. Smith

Penn bioethicist Art Caplan and I have had our differences, although sometimes we agree–as with most organ transplant issues. Today, he has a piece out, what he calls “a reform reality check.” As do most bioethicists, he justifies rationing, and I think it is an inadequate defense. (The problem of uninsured children can be fixed without establishing an invidious program of medical discrimination that pushes certain categories of patients out of the lifeboat.)

But that isn’t why I am writing this post. Caplan addresses a truly alarming issue I have not seen brought up before–a coming acute shortage of physicians. From his column:

Claim: If millions of Americans become newly insured, there won’t be enough doctors and nurses to handle them.

Reality check: This truly is a problem but it’s coming anyway. If current trends continue, the shortage of primary care physicians will reach 40,000 in a little more than 10 years, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. Medical schools are only graduating about half the needed number of primary care doctors. the rest