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California Value:
Number of active primary care providers (including general practice, family practice, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, geriatrics, internal medicine, physician assistants and nurse practitioners) per 100,000 population
California Rank:
Appears In:
Number of active primary care providers (including general practice, family practice, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, geriatrics, internal medicine, physician assistants and nurse practitioners) per 100,000 population
>= 275.4
258.7 - 275.3
236.8 - 258.6
213.5 - 236.7
<= 213.4
Number of active primary care providers (including general practice, family practice, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, geriatrics, internal medicine, physician assistants and nurse practitioners) per 100,000 population
US Value: 232.0
Top State(s): Massachusetts: 322.1
Bottom State(s): California: 178.9
Definition: Number of active primary care providers (including general practice, family practice, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, geriatrics, internal medicine, physician assistants and nurse practitioners) per 100,000 population
Data Source and Years(s): U.S. HHS, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, National Plan and Provider Enumeration System, September 2023
Suggested Citation: America's Health Rankings analysis of U.S. HHS, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, National Plan and Provider Enumeration System, United Health Foundation, AmericasHealthRankings.org, accessed 2024.
Why does this matter?
Primary care physicians are typically a patient’s first point of contact with the health care system and provide critical preventive care, disease management and referrals to specialists.
The Health Resources and Services Administration has estimated that, as of September 2023, an additional 17,000 primary care providers are necessary to meet current U.S. health care needs in designated health workforce shortage areas. That deficit is expected to grow to 48,000 physicians by 2034, mainly due to population growth and aging. Having a better or sufficient supply of primary care physicians in a community has numerous benefits, including:
The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on primary care. Many providers have had to adjust how they provide care and rapidly increase their use of telehealth services.
Who is affected?
Populations disproportionately affected by lack of access to primary care include:
What works?
Immediate and long-term measures to address the nation’s primary care shortage include:
Another important approach to the shortage is increasing diversity within the physician workforce, which includes establishing:
The effects of increased telehealth use on the demand for primary care providers are uncertain. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services implemented policy changes in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency to make telehealth more accessible. Continuation of those policies may allow more physicians to continue to offer those services to expand geographic access to primary care. Remote patient monitoring is one area that may be particularly well-suited to telehealth adaptations, allowing providers to manage chronic conditions in patients who face travel or transportation barriers.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has developed the Rural Health Strategy in response to the modern needs of rural Americans. Educational interventions are particularly effective at increasing and retaining a rural health workforce. These include selecting university students with rural backgrounds, university and post-graduate training in rural locations and supporting further education for qualified rural health professionals. However, more research is needed to address the physician shortage in rural areas.
Goals
Healthy People 2030 has multiple objectives related to primary care physicians, including:
References
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. “2021 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report.” Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, December 2021. https://www.ahrq.gov/sites/default/files/wysiwyg/research/findings/nhqrdr/2021qdr.pdf.
Brotman, Joshua J., and Robert M. Kotloff. “Providing Outpatient Telehealth Services in the United States.” Chest 159, no. 4 (April 2021): 1548–58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chest.2020.11.020.
Corlette, Sabrina, Robert Berenson, Erik Wengle, Kevin Lucia, and Tyler Thomas. “Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Primary Care Practices.” U.S. Health Reform – Monitoring and Impact. The Urban Institute, February 2021. https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/103596/impact-of-the-covid-19-pandemic-on-primary-care-practices.pdf.
IHS Markit Ltd. “The Complexities of Physician Supply and Demand: Projections From 2019 to 2034.” Washington, D.C.: Association of American Medical Colleges, June 2021. https://www.aamc.org/media/54681/download.
Jabbarpour, Yalda, Ann Greiner, Anuradha Jetty, Ann Kempski, Douglas Kamerow, Grace Walter, and Jamie Sibel. “Relationships Matter: How Usual Is Usual Source of (Primary) Care?” PCC 2022 Evidence Report. Primary Care Collaborative, November 2022. https://thepcc.org/sites/default/files/resources/pcc-evidence-report-2022_1.pdf.
Rajan, Suja S., Julia M. Akeroyd, Sarah T. Ahmed, David J. Ramsey, Christie M. Ballantyne, Laura A. Petersen, and Salim S. Virani. “Health Care Costs Associated with Primary Care Physicians versus Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants.” Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners 33, no. 11 (November 2021): 967–74. https://doi.org/10.1097/JXX.0000000000000555.
Russell, Deborah, Supriya Mathew, Michelle Fitts, Zania Liddle, Lorna Murakami-Gold, Narelle Campbell, Mark Ramjan, et al. “Interventions for Health Workforce Retention in Rural and Remote Areas: A Systematic Review.” Human Resources for Health 19, no. 1 (August 26, 2021): 103. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12960-021-00643-7.
Starfield, Barbara, Leiyu Shi, and James Macinko. “Contribution of Primary Care to Health Systems and Health.” The Milbank Quarterly 83, no. 3 (September 2005): 457–502. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0009.2005.00409.x.
America’s Health Rankings builds on the work of the United Health Foundation to draw attention to public health and better understand the health of various populations. Our platform provides relevant information that policymakers, public health officials, advocates and leaders can use to effect change in their communities.
We have developed detailed analyses on the health of key populations in the country, including women and children, seniors and those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, in addition to a deep dive into health disparities across the country.