> Most of the doctors are boomers themselves and getting retired, or dying as you said. The shortage is not about to get better.
The market for doctors is fairly constant, it's very difficult to mint new doctors. Even if a state or university went through the enormous undertaking to create a new med-school, they would, at best, create 200-300 new doctors a year, a drop in the bucket.
The real solution is in alternative degrees like Physician Assistants or Nurse Practitioners. They can get degrees at half the cost of doctors and yet do 80% of a doctor's work.
Any real cost reductions in U.S. healthcare will have to include these alternative healthcare providers.
yes. and please let it be noted that MD associations in California opposed a law that would have allowed Nurse Practitioners to operate autonomously (as they do in some states)
The market for doctors is fairly constant, it's very difficult to mint new doctors. Even if a state or university went through the enormous undertaking to create a new med-school, they would, at best, create 200-300 new doctors a year, a drop in the bucket.
The real solution is in alternative degrees like Physician Assistants or Nurse Practitioners. They can get degrees at half the cost of doctors and yet do 80% of a doctor's work.
Any real cost reductions in U.S. healthcare will have to include these alternative healthcare providers.