No Doctors for the Elderly
[A] report, published this month in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, warns that as the proportion of older adults spikes from 12% to a projected 20% by 2030, caring for 70 million people 65 and older and 10 million 85 and older will be a challenge.
Earlier studies by physicians groups predicted 36,000 additional geriatricians will be needed by 2030. But the new report calls that “impossible and unrealistic.” Fewer than 320 physicians entered geriatric medicine fellowship training from 2004 to 2008, the report said.
Full article on the shortage of geriatricians.
It’s going to get worse.
Concierge medicine is going to be the answer.
Most seniors are on Medicare and many have multiple chronic conditions. I’ve talked to doctors, who complained that a Medicare appointment often takes 30 minutes, compared to a 10-minute well baby visit for a pediatrician. Physicians cannot make ends meet seeing two Medicare patients per hour. So it’s no wonder there is a shortage of doctors specializing in this area.
As you all have pointed out here before, Medicare fees under Obama Care are going to fall way behind other payers and access is going to get much worse for seniors for that reason alone, in addition to the other reasons.
I can’t think of any incentive that would cause someone to consider becoming a geriatrician.