Physician shortage: U.S. health care demands are set to substantially outweigh the number of physicians by 2036

Patients, physicians, nurses, allied health professionals and hospital systems alike are all facing a number of challenges today. Issues like cybersecurity, inflation, access to quality care, health equity, and governmental reform are all buzzing topics heard regularly today. Central to these challenges are the physicians working tirelessly to combat them, with the demand of physicians rapidly outpacing the supply also leading to increasing levels of burnout.

“Many physicians chose to retire during the ‘great resignation’,” says James D. Grant, M.D., Executive Vice President, Clinical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer.

“And the gap is projected to continue to substantially widen as baby boomers continue aging into retirement, and burnout symptoms persist. Impacts of the physician shortage are becoming more real and prevalent.”

Data from the Association of American Medical Colleges predicts a shortfall of over 72,000 physicians by 2036 across all specialties, with primary care making up the majority of the shortage. Currently, 28% of physicians are 65 or older with 49% of physicians experiencing burnout.

In addition to the wide array for health care challenges, daily hurdles like large industry consolidations, outcome-based care models, and prior authorization requirements across payers and services are all contributing to physician burnout.

“At Blue Cross, we continually evaluate and push out tactical improvements to better inform and support the physician community and to reduce the administrative tasks so that physicians can take care of patients and not the computer screen,” says Grant.

Over the past several months, Blue Cross has implemented a number of practices aimed at increasing efficiency and alleviating burn out for physicians.

Blue Cross created a new process for provider alert emails, organizing pertinent information providers should be aware of into a single weekly email. We also made it easier to share medical records electronically through Availity to help with medical record requests.

As we’ve told you about in previous issues of Hospital & Physician Update, Blue Cross continues to  enhance the prior authorization processes to help create efficiencies for health care professionals.

Addressing the physician shortage will take a multidimensional approach that includes evolving how we train and retain physicians in Michigan, collaborate across health systems, relieve administrative tasks and support medical students.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network are nonprofit corporations and independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.