Newly insured outpace available doctors in Massachusetts

Healthcare reform in Massachusetts has increased the number newly insured patients in the state, and the demand for care has gone up as a result. The trend, along with a longstanding shortage of primary-care physicians, is creating a real crunch for community clinics, say advocates of healthcare reform as well as medical professionals. Critics have said healthcare reform should not have been attempted without first addressing the workforce shortages, but state officials and healthcare advocates are starting to address the problem of recruitment. The state Legislature has taken up a bill, for example, which includes a clause aimed at establishing a primary-care recruitment center in the state.