Survey: Patients Face More Problems in Finding Primary Care Physicians

The majority of Medicare beneficiaries seeking a new primary care physician in 2011 didn't experience any problems, but that statistic may change in the following years, according to a survey from MedPac (pdf).

Privately insured individuals and Medicare beneficiaries both had a harder time finding a new PCP than a specialist. Of the 6 percent of Medicare beneficiaries seeking a new PCP, 0.7 percent reported a "small problem" and 1.3 percent reported a "big problem."  

Graphs display a downward trend when it comes to patients' easy of access in finding a new PCP. While it fluctuates annually, the experience has been slumping since 2009 for privately insured patients and since 2010 for Medicare beneficiaries.

Related Articles on Primary Care Physicians:

Analysis: Time is Running Out to Fix Physician Shortage
Compensation & Competency: 4 Factors to Consider When Hiring Physicians
Survey: 73% of Physicians "Not Excited" About Future of Medicine

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