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    Back to To the Point

    To the Point

    Is the US Ready for Universal Coverage?

    America's shortage of doctors has been growing for years, and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is going to make it much worse. Even supporters of "Obamacare" agree that, with 30 million new patients in 2014, there will be 62,000 fewer doctors than needed.

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    By Warren Olney • May 12, 2014 • 1 min read

    America's shortage of doctors has been growing for years, and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is going to make it much worse. Even supporters of "Obamacare" agree that, with 30 million new patients in 2014, there will be 62,000 fewer doctors than needed. That's just two years away, but it takes ten years to train a doctor, so there's a crisis just around the corner. Nurse practitioners and clinics in pharmacies can take up some of the slack, but can they really replace MD's? Will the gap in quality care between wealthy Americans and the poor grow bigger than ever?

    The full episode

    2 of 3
    Is the US Ready for Universal Coverage?
    1. 0:00US Generals Meet on Afghan Attacks
    2. 7:36Is the US Ready for Universal Coverage?You’re reading this
    3. 39:21Is Abortion Back on the Political Agenda?
    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Warren Olney

      former KCRW broadcaster

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Evan George

      Director of Content, News

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Anna Scott

      Former KCRW Housing and Homelessness Reporter

    • Sonya Geis with wavy brown hair wearing a black dress with red accents and decorative earrings against a white background.

      Sonya Geis

      Senior Managing Editor

    • KCRW placeholder

      Sarah Kliff

      Vox

    • KCRW placeholder

      Ateev Mehrotra

      RAND Corporation

    • KCRW placeholder

      Mary Rimsza

      University of Arizona College of Medicine

      NewsNationalPolitics

    The full episode

    2 of 3
    Is the US Ready for Universal Coverage?
    1. 0:00US Generals Meet on Afghan Attacks
    2. 7:36Is the US Ready for Universal Coverage?You’re reading this
    3. 39:21Is Abortion Back on the Political Agenda?
    Back to To the Point