Dearth of Physicians Discourages Insured from Getting Care

03/9/2010

Having health insurance may not always mean getting healthcare, particularly in regions where patients greatly outnumber physicians.

This problem is more pronounced in the District of Columbia, according to a recent column in the Washington Post, because high rents paired with low salaries discourage primary-care physicians from setting up practice. Residents in this city sometimes wait up to 30 days to see a doctor, compared to 24 days in New York.

Massachusetts' mandate for universal coverage has brought the state's coverage rate to 97 percent and the average wait in the Boston area to 63 days. Such reform on Capitol Hill could aggravate this problem nationwide.

"An influx of patients will overwhelm a system already crippled by a well-documented dearth of primary-care physicians, as medical students gravitate toward more lucrative specialties," the column wrote.

Looking outside of the District has served successful for many, according to the columnist, who eventually found a physician on Capitol Hill.

In addition to these difficulties, some Americans are discouraged by the cost of medical care even after insurance. According to a recent survey by the Center for Healthcare Research & Transformation, 17 percent of those with health insurance delayed getting treatment because of costs. This compares with the 40 percent of individuals without insurance who did so.

ShareThis