I think the title here says it all - why we are facing a shortage of Primary Practice physicians. Also, this reinstates the need for "affordable" EMRs and technology for many to convert to paperless and continue to practice. BD
http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/commentary/hc-commentarydoctors0318.artmar18,0,6179078.story?coll=hc-headlines-commentary

Each year, it's harder for Volpintesta to stay in business. His malpractice insurance costs $15,000. His annual salary is $75,000. That's not a typo - it's fairly typical for a primary care physician in Connecticut. For the record, Volpintesta plans to drive his 5-year-old Toyota until it stops running.
Government hasn't done them any favors lately. Medicare reimbursements have been frozen since 2004, and a 10 percent cut is expected in 2008 - a $96 million decrease for Connecticut, according to analysts at the American Medical Association.
Medicaid reimbursements are also so low that the Department of Social Services recently found that only one in four Medicaid patients can obtain an appointment with a physician.
Five years ago, a family physician would have received $56 for that visit. Today, he receives $46. If he performed 1,500 of these evaluations a year, a physician like Volpintesta would have lost $14,600 - and that figure covers just one of hundreds of thousands of medical billing codes.

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