Side Effects: Obamacare Discourages Docs
Kathryn Nix /
The United States faces a major physician shortage, and it will only get worse. Aging baby boomers will create a growing demand for medical services at the same time Obamacare comes on line with its new demands.
Complicating matters is the fact that many physicians are also baby boomers—meaning part of the solution will increasingly become part of the problem.
The Washington Post reports that nearly 40% of doctors are 55 or older and a third of all nurses are over the age of 50. These boomers are on the cusp of retirement—and the number of students on track to graduate from medical and nursing school will not be adequate to replace them in their fields.