Health insurance and rising medical costs are stars of the political stage this election season, yet a potentially larger crisis looms: a shortage of primary care physicians. Some doctors use terms such as “collapse” and “disaster” in talking about the state of primary care during the next decade. They say the issue will likely force lawmakers to radically rethink how health care dollars are spent. Primary care doctors – generally pediatricians, internal medicine doctors and the traditional family physician – are considered the front line of health care, especially for chronic diseases and preventive care. A shortage could translate into costlier and less-efficient health care. The reality is, there are not enough primary care doctors to see everyone now. Already, some patients, such as those enrolled in Medicare or Medicaid or living in rural areas, are struggling to find a doctor willing to see them. By one account, the Pikes Peak region is short about 20 primary care physicians and will be short at least 10 more in the coming years. The figures come from a study done this year by Penrose-St. Francis Health Services, and they’re likely understated, said Dr. Jeff Oram-Smith, chief medical officer for Penrose-St. Francis Health Services. Not every doctor on the rolls, for example, is regularly seeing patients.
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