Thanks to AOL News for publishing my latest opinion piece, Reform’s Great, But We Need More Doctors.

I discuss how health reform’s ultimate success or failure is largely dependent on whether our primary care system can accommodate the millions of newly insured patients:

… having health insurance doesn’t necessarily mean it will be easy to find a doctor. Even before reform, reports projected a shortfall of 40,000 primary care physicians over the next decade. Thirty-two million newly insured Americans, plus the millions of baby boomers entering Medicare age, will only make this shortfall worse.

I also touch upon how nurse practitioners and physician assistants are not immune to the lucrative allure of specialty practice, and how reform doesn’t help burnout prevalent in primary care doctors today.

Thanks also to ABC News for interviewing me on a similar topic, How Long Will You Wait to See a Doctor?

Again, I touch upon the lifestyle deficiencies of primary care, in addition to the financial disincentives:

“There’s really little language in the health reform bill that really improves the lifestyle and the relationship primary care doctors have with their patients,” said Pho, adding that in addition to excessive paperwork, doctors may not feel they can spend enough time with their patients.

Enjoy the pieces.