WASHINGTON, DC - The primary care workforce is already stretched; Ellen-Marie Whelan, Associate Director of Health Policy and Senior Health Policy Analyst at the Center for American Progress, offers solutions for coping with the shortfall, particularly if we achieve health care reform.
Congress is in the throes of developing legislation to provide quality affordable health for all Americans. Discussion throughout the debate has questioned whether there are sufficient primary care professionals to provide services for the newly insured individuals, since the nation's primary care heath workforce is already stretched. This is a concern, but targeted policy changes can begin to strengthen and expand this sector, which is the backbone of the health care system.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the president's budget proposal for fiscal year 2010 included provisions to address this ongoing shortage. Any new health care reform legislation will need to include strong measures to make sure we can continue and build on this investment. Solutions include providing more scholarships and loan repayment plans for clinicians who agree to work in primary care specialties and underserved areas, making more and better use of primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants, and improving the environment for delivering primary care, including increased reimbursement rates and more flexibility in providing services.

There are not enough primary care providers to meet current needs. We will need targeted policy changes to ensure that we are well-positioned to provide services to the additional millions of Americans who will have health insurance under health care reform.

WHERE TO START? Whelan lays out a few important steps we should take immediately:

* Expand the National Health Service Corps
* Pay primary care clinicians more fairly
* Maximize the current primary care workforce
* Train more doctors

READ THE FULL REPORT HERE:
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/11/primary_care_shortage.html