Opinion
Add a ninth reform principle -- an adequate supply of physicians
LETTER — Posted June 1, 2009
Regarding "8 simple rules for health system reform" (Editorial, May 4): Many thanks and kudos for your very well-written editorial, and for expressing the need for antitrust reform and relief for physicians from liability pressures. But I believe there should be at least one more rule added to the eight basic principles.
As one who has proudly participated in the Federation of Medicine for the past 42 years, working with and for physicians over that period, I would suggest that the ninth rule should assure the American public that there will be enough physicians, particularly in primary care, to take care of the certain-to-be-increased future demands of patient care.
Demographics, the baby boomers, chronic illnesses and meeting the noble objective of insuring all Americans will only exacerbate the present physician shortage.
Hopefully, reform efforts will address the urgent need to increase the physician work force.
Timothy B. Norbeck, executive director, the Physicians Foundation Inc.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2009/06/01/edlt0601.htm.
