A federal program designed to incentivize physicians to practice in disadvantaged communities has had little effect, a recent study found.
The study, published in Health Affairs, analyzed data from the Health Professional Shortage Area program. The program, introduced in 1965, designated areas in need of more physicians and offered bonuses, loan repayment, visa waivers, higher reimbursement and more to those who practiced in that community.
Researchers analyzed physician density and patient mortality outcomes between 1970 and 2018 in 844 counties. They found 73% of counties still had shortages a decade after designation. Counties with shortages would need a 134% rise in physician density to match those without shortages, according to the study.
"The incentives needed to displace physicians must overcompensate for their baseline inertia and preferences," the researchers wrote. "A focus on redistributing physicians may redirect resources that could be better spent solving the long-term workforce challenge."