Generalist and specialty physicians: supply and access, 2009-2010.

As the overall population ages, policy makers are focusing on the current and growing shortage of the primary care workforce (1–3), particularly as provisions of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) expand health insurance coverage. This report presents selected trends in physician shortage measures and access to care measures for generalist physicians and specialists. Generalists are those in the specialties of family practice, general practice, internal medicine, and pediatrics, whereas specialists comprise all other specialties. Estimates are based on physicians who participated in the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) by providing data on visits.

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