Agencies warn of coming doctor shortage

The passage of healthcare reform that could potentially funnel 30 million new people into an already-packed system has some groups warning that the nation will soon see a shortage of doctors. The Assn. of American Medical Colleges has warned of a deficiency of up to 125,000 doctors by 2025. The Health Resources and Services Administration has projected that the supply of primary-care physicians will be adequate through 2020, at which point there will be a deficit of 65,560 physicians. All this, the groups warn, could bring longer wait times and travel distances to see a doctor, briefer visits, higher costs and—in places where shortages are extreme—loss of access to physicians altogether, the Los Angeles Times reports.