The Disappearing Doctor

Experts are predicting a shortage of primary care physicians within the next couple of deads. Given the estimates, primary care doctors will be seeing many more patients than they do now, or several million people will be without a primary care doctor.

So are PCP's going to be a thing of the past ? First it was a nursing shortage and now primary care physicians !

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/11/the-disappearing-doctor/

[VaBreeze]

This could be tragic, since many insurance companies require you to choose a PCP.  I'm fortunate to have a policy where I can seek whomever I like, without need for a referral (thank goodness).  I consider my Internal Med. doctor my PCP.  

Another thing that bothers me with this type of situation is, some doctors will not accept Medicare/Medicaid patients.  I assume this is due to more red tape and paperwork too.  

[selmaS]

It's fine to be able to choose ur PCP, but over the past four  years I've tried just that....none of the drs are accepting new patients....so if you are new to being insured, or to an area you may find it difficult to find a dr that will take on new patients.

[luckydzack1]

I live in Canada & we already have a shortage of doc's. I live about 2 hours away from where my doc is. I was working in the city so that is where I was seeing my doc, but now that I am off of work I can not find a doc up where I live. There is suppose to be one starting in Jan. 09 & I have my name on the list. He is taking on 1200 new patients when he gets here. He was suppose to be here in Nov. 08 so I sure hope he will be here in 09 so maybe I don't have to travel for 2 hours once a month. My hubby has to take the day off as I can't drive that far, my whole body seizes up on me from holding on to the steering wheel & using pressure to put my foot on the gas or brake. My brother is a doc & he said that he would not go in as a family doc because everything is guess work, and it is so easy to not guess properly. He took 7 years of med school and then 3 years for to be a specialty doc.

[RobinHood70]

Like luckydzack1, I also live in Canada.  I haven't had a family doctor in years.  I've been forced to rely on a clinic throughout my Celiac and Chronic Fatigue diagnoses.  It hasn't been pleasant.