For a long while in the US, Americans have been forced to wait to see a doctor, and the wait times are getting longer. It now takes almost 20 percent longer to see a doctor in big cities across the nation than it did three years ago, reports Jeff Lagasse for HealthcareFinanceNews.
People typically now wait a solid month to see a doctor in the 15 biggest US cities. People wait five days longer than they did in 2022. It now takes an average of 31 days to schedule a physician appointment in 15 of the largest metropolitan areas in the U.S. This likely means that the US has too few doctors and the shortage is only increasing.
Researchers asked people about wait times for a range of specialist services, including family medicine, orthopedic surgery, gastroenterology, dermatology, cardiology and obstetrics/gynecology.
Shortages of specialists appear most pronounced in Boston, with average wait times of more than two months (65 days). In Portland, Oregon, the wait time to see a dermatologist is now nearly ten months (291 days). In Boston, Massachusetts, the wait time to see an ob/gyn is now nearly eight months (231 days). In Detroit, Michigan, the wait time to see a gastroenterologist is nearly seven months (208 days). In Washington, DC, people wait as long as six months to see a cardiologist (175 days).
Researchers also looked at access to physician services for people with Medicare and Medicaid in the 15 major metropolitan areas. More than eight in ten physicians take Medicare. In Boston, more than nine in ten accept Medicare. In Atlanta, fewer than seven in ten accept Medicare.
A far lower percentage of physicians in the 15 metropolitan areas see Medicaid patients. On average, just over half of physicians (53 percent) accept Medicaid. More than eight in ten Detroit physicians (85 percent) accept Medicaid. Fewer than three in ten New York physicians (28 percent) accept Medicaid.
What are the 15 largest metropolitan areas: Alphabetically–Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Minnesota, New York City, Philadelphia, Portland (Oregon), San Diego, Seattle and Washington, D.C. For its survey, AMN Healthcare surveyed 1,391 physician offices.
Here’s more from Just Care:
- Why it’s so hard to find a primary care doctor?
- Six reasons you need a primary care doctor in this age of specialization
- Four questions to ask yourself about your primary care doctor
- Medicare Advantage networks can be narrow and harmful
- Insurer provider directories misleadingly include physicians who are out of network
