Although the physician shortage is expected to hit 124,000 by 2034, health-professional shortage areas currently need 17,000 physicians to close care gaps, according to an Oct. 27 article from the American Medical Association.
The article recommends three actions for Congress to take to address this gap in access to care across rural and underserved areas. The first action focuses on establishing a sustainable Medicare physician payment system by creating inflationary-based updates to both address the crisis now and prevent it from growing larger in the future.
Meanwhile, the AMA is arguing that Congress can boost the workforce by increasing the cap on graduate medical education slots and creating more rural residency positions.
The final action item urges legislators to support innovative care options by permanently lifting restrictions that prevent Medicare patients from accessing telehealth services and extending Medicare's 5% incentive payments for physicians who participate in alternative payment models, the article said.