California’s physician supply has grown faster than the state's population in recent years – rising 7 percent since 1998 – yet officials are unsure that the state can keep up with the demand for physician services as the senior population grows and more individuals obtain health insurance as a result of health reform.
With large numbers of physicians nearing retirement and not all doctors accepting new patients with private or public insurance, those seeking care could have difficulty finding a provider.
A new report from the California HealthCare Foundation describes the market landscape for physician services in California, examining physician supply, access to care, quality of care, medical education and salaries, among other data.
According to "California Physician Facts and Figures," six out of nine regions in the state don't have the recommended number of primary care physicians, and those who are uninsured or on public health insurance have less access to physician services.
Other findings include:
- California barely meets the nationally recognized standard for PCPs – only the Orange, Sacramento and Greater Bay Area regions meet the recommended supply.
- Nearly 30 percent of physicians are more than 60 years old, a higher percentage than any other state.
- The racial/ethnic composition of the physician population does not reflect the state's diversity. While Latinos represent almost 40 percent of California's population, only 5 percent of the state's physicians are Latino, a fact that could have implications for language and cultural aspects of care.
- California draws a substantial portion of physicians, especially PCPs, from foreign and out-of-state medical schools.
- While family and general practitioner compensation has been rising in California, those physicians earned only 88 percent of the national average in 2008.
Officials say that the University of California, which operates five medical school programs, could provide some relief. It plans to expand enrollment in existing programs and will open two new medical schools.