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NJ checkup: Finding solutions before doctor shortage is critical
New Jersey’s chronic doctor shortage is expected to worsen as patients get older and sicker, and federal healthcare reform brings broader coverage for the uninsured. Over the next decade, the state will have 3,000 fewer doctors than needed, according to projections cited as the state legislature begins to tackle the problem.
The Senate’s health committee has approved a bill, S-173, requiring the state Commissioner of Health and Senior Services to convene a planning summit to address the doctor shortage and provide a “blueprint of what we need to do in New Jersey,” said Sen. Robert Singer (R-30), the measure’s sponsor. (Fitzgerald, NJ Spotlight)