Where Are All The Doctors Going?

Doctor

There’s going to be some problems in Minnesota in the next 10 years:

Doctors are getting older in Minnesota.

In the next 10 years one in three will retire, and there aren’t enough future physicians to replace them. That could threaten your access to health care.

Combine this with a demand problem:

The Minnesota Health Insurance Exchange will give access to health care to an estimated 300,000 currently un-insured Minnesotans, meaning more patients, more overtime, and fewer doctors to treat them.

Now, I happen to think that as we increase our demand for doctors, the market should correct and supply us with more.  However, this can only happen if the market is free enough to allow corrections in price.

It’ll be interesting to watch as this unfolds across the country.

 

6 responses to “Where Are All The Doctors Going?

  1. This might be mitigated by expanding the role of RN’s – a number of states are looking to expand their practice areas, some already have. This could make a huge difference. No more going to the doc for a flu shot or cold or whatever. Minor trauma, pregnancy . . . so much of regular health care can be handled in community cclinics nad by nurses.Happiily Obamacare includes incentives for just this.

    • This might be mitigated by expanding the role of RN’s – a number of states are looking to expand their practice areas, some already have.

      I’ve been in favor of this for a long time.

      We no longer need an MD to prescribe each and every filling of blood pressure medication that I’m gonna be on for the next forever. Or to set a broken finger. Or, like you said, to alleviate minor trauma.

      Happiily Obamacare includes incentives for just this.

      If so, it would be a part of Obamacare that I like.

  2. It’s an Easter miracle!

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