Home > Health Law Reform -- General, Healthcare Business, Improving Healthcare, Physician Practices > New England Leads Nation In Primary Care – Newsroom: Bernie Sanders – U.S. Senator for Vermont

New England Leads Nation In Primary Care – Newsroom: Bernie Sanders – U.S. Senator for Vermont

June 30, 2013 Leave a comment Go to comments

With Vermont leading the way, five of New England’s six states rank in the top six for primary care doctors per capita, according to datafrom the Association of American Medical Colleges. The sixth, Connecticut, ranks 12th. As the national shortage of primary care doctors expected to increase after the federal Affordable Care Act takes full effect next year, some are looking to New England’s states with an eye to what they’ve been doing right.

Several factors contribute to New England’s relatively strong position. Among them: strong public health programs ensuring that high percentages of residents have health coverage, meaning fewer doctors deliver uncompensated care. Massachusetts, which enacted a universal health care program in 2006, has about 97 percent of its residents carrying health coverage. In Vermont it’s about 94 percent.

This, is ocourse, the goal of health reform.  Get people insured, and get them in front of their PCPs for care before they are so sick that they need to go to the ER or be admitted to the hospital.  Two important things are needed — access to health care through affordable insurance and access to proactive, preventive care oriented primary care physicians.

See on www.sanders.senate.gov

Categories: Health Law Reform -- General, Healthcare Business, Improving Healthcare, Physician Practices
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