How The Doctor Shortage Crisis In Rhode Island Compares To Other States

By Samuel Stebbins, 24/7 Wall St. Providence

March 29, 2023

The United States has been battling a doctor shortage for a few years. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed just how big the problem is. Medical institutions have been warning that there could be a shortage of up to 124,000 primary care physicians and specialty care doctors nationwide within a decade, according to research by the Association of American Medical Colleges.

There is already a shortage in some places in the U.S., with rural areas disproportionately affected. If people living in rural communities, minorities, and those with no health insurance, had the same access to medical care as others have, the country would need an additional 180,400 doctors to meet demand. (These are the states where the most people don’t have health insurance.)

According to the 2021 State Physician Workforce Data Report from the Association of American Medical Colleges, there are 940,254 physicians actively practicing in the United States. Adjusting for population using data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2021 American Community Survey, this comes out to 283.3 for every 100,000 people. And this number varies considerably by state.

In Rhode Island, there are 4,063 active physicians, or 370.8 for every 100,000 people, the fifth most among states.

Other than a low supply of doctors, lack of health insurance can be another barrier to accessing care. An estimated 4.3% of Rhode Island residents are uninsured, the fourth fewest among states. Meanwhile, 16.3% of adults across the state report being in less than optimal health, compared to 17.1% of adults nationwide.

Data on the percentage of adults reporting fair or poor health is from the 2022 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps program of the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. Data on the share of the population without health insurance came from the 2021 ACS and are one-year estimates.

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This story was originally published by 24/7 Wall St., a news organization that produces real-time business commentary and data-driven reporting for state and local markets across the country.