CALIFORNIA, USA — The American Association of Medical Colleges projects the United States could lose more than 100,000 physicians in the next decade. As we navigate a doctor shortage, it can be hard to get into an office as a new patient.
Some offices in the Sacramento area have a months-long wait. That's forcing some to get on a waitlist and put their needs on hold. ABC10 Health Expert Dr. Tom Hopkins said many doctors are retiring, some are moving out of state and others are switching up their modality of care.
For example, he said some doctors are moving to a system that only takes a certain type of insurance.
"Other organizations are trying to increase the number of doctors that are coming to the community to help fill this gap, but until then, you really have to try to do the best you can to find out somewhere where you going to have access," Dr. Hopkins said. "There's some telehealth options and organizations that provide a virtual primary care physician. That may be an option for people, but there's nothing like having someone that you're going to have a hands-on experience with. So, that's something that's hard to replace."
Hopkins said if you're healthy, waiting six months for an appointment isn't a big deal. You just want to make sure you see a doctor once a year that way you can get all the routine exams specific to your needs.
If you can't wait or you have an urgent health matter that's when he recommends telehealth. There's also the option of community health fairs. That allows you to see a professional in person and often at no cost.
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