$3 billion is needed to address California's doctor shortage, task force says
California lawmakers will need to grant nurse practitioners across the state more autonomy, increase opportunities to study medicine and expand doctor training programs in order to avoid a looming healthcare crisis, according to a report released Monday by the California Future Health Workforce Commission.
The report outlines a $3-billion plan for ensuring the state has enough doctors, nurses and home care workers to meet the needs of Californians at a time when Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to dramatically expand healthcare access for lower-income and immigrant communities. The commission, created by healthcare, education and business leaders and co-chaired by UC President Janet Napolitano, plans to pitch the proposal to Newsom and legislative leaders in the coming weeks.
“In short, we know that California will be facing a tremendous workforce gap in the healthcare arena and we just can’t put this issue off,” Napolitano said.
Newsom has proposed extending Medi-Cal coverage to young adults who are in the U.S. illegally and providing more subsidies for middle-class families struggling to afford health insurance. That expansion comes as the state is expected to face a massive workforce shortage in the next decade, with California needing 4,100 more doctors and 600,000 additional home care workers to meet the state’s needs, the commission said.
Read more: https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-california-future-health-workforce-commission-doctor-shortage-20190205-story.html
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I go to a rural health care center. I see a nurse practitioner and she is very smart and very good too. My needs are being met.
I prefer her a lot more than the doctor that almost killed me in 2009. I finally got the nerve to walk away from said doctor a few years ago and I have no regrets.
That said, yes, there is a doctor shortage here. They claim the reason is because their wives have nowhere to shop. Good excuse ... I guess!
