Not Enough Primary Care Physicians: CMA Issues Report on California Physician Workforce

Several landmark changes are set to dramatically alter the state’s current health care paradigm. With the baby boomers beginning to retire, national health care reform expanding coverage to millions of previously uninsured citizens, obesity rates reaching epidemic levels and the repercussions of the national recession and California’s own severe budget deficit still playing out, it is more important than ever that we continue to assess, address and surmount the obstacles facing California’s health care system. The most critical of these obstacles, and one that is projected to grow substantially in the coming years, is the problem of ensuring sufficient and timely physician access for every Californian in need of a physician’s care.

The facets of this issue are many. California’s population is growing rapidly and aging, increasing the demand for physicians more than ever before. It is also becoming more culturally and ethnically diverse, and many areas that have traditionally been medically underserved are expected to see the greatest population growth. At the same time, many of California’s physicians are approaching retirement themselves, and the pipeline designed to replace them is experiencing key bottlenecks in both medical school and residency training. Medical school debt is also growing faster than physician income and is one of the primary reasons that the supply of primary care physicians is lagging even further behind than that of specialists.

With the largest health care system of all 50 states, California is an example to the rest of the nation. Many of the challenges it faces are echoed across the country, and how California responds to these challenges could well set the tone for the next generation of health care in the United States. This report presents a detailed assessment of the predominant factors affecting both the supply of and demand for physicians in California. Included also are recommendations for actions the state can take to ensure that all Californians have access to physician care when they need it, now and in the future.

For additional information on the materials in this report please contact Molly Weedn, Director of Media Relations for the California California Medical Association, at 916-551-2068 or mweedn@cmanet.org.