From the Bulletin of Health Policy & Law: The ACA and the Primary Care Physician Shortage

http://www.bullhpl.org/resources/Publications/acabautista.pdf

The Affordable Care Act and the Primary Care Physician Shortage

Luis G. Bautista, MD

Abstract:
Over the next 10 years, the US will encounter a significant increase in newly insured patients, which will amplify the demand for primary care services.  However, over the  last several decades, primary care has been an unpopular specialty, resulting in a shortage of primary care physicians (PCPs).  The healthcare reform bill, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), contains several sections designed to boost the primary care provider supply.