Medical Workforce Shortage

 

One of the biggest challenges we face in helping our members is a shortage of qualified medical professionals. A report published by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) projects:1,2

  • Given current trends, we may face a shortage of as many as 86,000 physicians by 2036.
  • Meeting the needs of underserved communities with limited access to health care could require up to 202,800 more physicians.

This is a growing concern for plans and providers, and a serious challenge to our mission to help people get care, stay well, and build healthy communities.

Providers in a group
 

Causes and impacts of the workforce shortage

According to the report, two major forces behind rising physician demand are overall population growth and the aging of the U.S. population.1

  • By 2036, the general population of the U.S. is projected to increase by 8.4%.
  • The report forecasts a 34.1% increase in the population age 65 and older, including a 54.7% increase among people age 75 and above.
  • Because older adults require more care, this will boost demand for specialists.

Meanwhile, a substantial portion of physicians are nearing retirement:1

  • 20% are already 65 or older.
  • Another 22% of physicians are between ages 55 and 64, which suggests that physician supply may shrink further as more clinicians retire.

These factors mean that it will be even harder for many people to get care, especially in rural areas where issues of availability and transit already exist, particularly for older patients.3

How we’re helping

Access to appropriate care is central to our work, and AmeriHealth Caritas is committed to partnering with providers and governments to help address this growing crisis.

We support state efforts to expand the health professional pipeline through loan repayment, grants, and residency programs, including community-based graduate medical education and fellowship programs. We also help maximize existing provider capacity through telemedicine and team-based models such as community health workers (CHWs), health care extenders, and peer support specialists.

We also support workforce initiatives, including:

  • Project ECHO (Extension for Community Health Care Outcomes): This training and mentoring model helps the health care workforce deliver improved, best-practice care locally.
  • AmeriHealth Caritas Health Policy Honors Program: Open to Louisiana State University (LSU) medical students, this eight- to nine-week program provides exposure to health policy research, analysis, and advocacy to help students lead future industry change.
  • Population Health Clerkship: This partnership between LSU Health Sciences Center and AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana offers fourth-year medical students and residents a four-week remote rotation in Medicaid managed care and population health, with practical exposure to strategy, quality improvement, cost reduction, and health equity.

In short, the projected physician shortage is driven by rising demand and a tightening supply, and it will continue to put pressure on access to care, especially for rural and underserved communities. AmeriHealth Caritas is helping by supporting strategies that expand the pipeline and strengthen care teams so members can get the right care at the right time.

Sources

  1. Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), The Complexities of Physician Supply and Demand: Projections From 2021 to 2036 (PDF), Prepared for the AAMC by GlobalData Plc., March 2024.
  2. AAMC, “New AAMC Report Shows Continuing Projected Physician Shortage,” Press release, March 21, 2024. 
  3. AAMC, “Addressing the Physician Workforce Shortage,” accessed April 17, 2026.
 

“It calls upon us never to be indifferent toward despair. It commands us never to turn away from helplessness. It directs us never to ignore or to spurn those who suffer untended in a land that is bursting with abundance.”

        —President Lyndon B. Johnson, upon signing Medicaid into law, July 30, 1965