Need a Specialist in Your City? Wait 4 Weeks for an Appointment!

If you have a chronic health condition, you may be familiar with the challenge of finding a specialist who is accepting new patients. In some parts of the country, it can take weeks or even months to get an appointment with a specialist. Unfortunately, this situation is only going to get worse.

 

A recent report from The Commonwealth Fund found that the number of specialists in the U.S. is shrinking, while the population continues to grow. This means that patients will have even greater difficulty finding a doctor who can help them manage their chronic condition.

 

The waiting time for a doctor’s appointment is becoming increasingly unbearable. Patients are spending more than 26 days without seeing their physicians and the average age of these individuals has increased as well.

 

The average wait time for a physician’s visit has increased to 24.1 days, up 8% from last year and 21 in 2004 when the first survey was done by Merritt Hawkins & AMN Healthcare.

 

“The physician appointment wait times have been the longest we’ve seen since this survey began,” said Tom Florence, president of AMN Healthcare’s Physician Search Division. “This is an indication that there may be a growing shortage in America and it will only grow worse as more doctors retire or stop practicing.”

 

Though the analysis focused on major U.S cities, it’s likely that wait times are worse elsewhere in America because large markets tend to have more physicians and healthcare facilities generally speaking- which means there will be even longer lines for those who need care in rural settings.

 

The Biden administration is committed to increasing the number of physicians in America, especially those who work in high-needs areas. This investment will help address access problems and workforce shortages while also providing more options for patients waiting on appointment times.

 

However, it’ll take time before those residents can make a difference in appointment wait times as there are still plenty who need medical attention right now.

Health insurers are pushing more of a team-based approach to healthcare in an effort, so far partially successful at keeping up with the cost curve while also trying out new models that focus on patient needs and outcomes rather than simply treating illness after diagnosis.

 

The federal government has been shifting commercial Medicaid dollars away from fee-for-service payment toward value-based care systems which can result in higher quality service but may come at some price because it means less revenue stream coming directly from insurance companies.

 

The healthcare system is changing, and so are the professionals that provide it. As more responsibility falls onto physician’s assistants or nurse practitioners for things like patient intake processing in addition to their primary role as healers; there has been an increased use of these alternative providers by many hospitals across America.

 

What Can You Do When You Need a Specialist?

While the shortage of specialists is a serious problem, there are things that patients can do to make finding a doctor easier. Join our affordable monthly membership plans today and you will have access to a network of doctors who are accepting new patients. With this type of plan, you don’t have to worry about waiting weeks or months for an appointment. You can get the care you need when you need it.