The health care reform law is expected to create 326,000 more insured Wisconsinites. This will be a great accomplishment; however, it’s also important to think about whether the health care system will be ready to care for the increased number of patients seeking primary and preventative care because of the law. Fortunately, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) contains measures to help address that challenge.

After the Washington Post’s Sarah Kliff, posted an article entitled, “The Health Reform Law’s Biggest Threat: 30,000 Too Few Doctors,” the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel posted Steve Jacob’s opinion piece on, “What Doctor Shortage Means for Wisconsin.” Their points are well made – the US has far fewer primary care physicians than specialists, in part because medical school debt drives doctors into dramatically higher paying specialties. About one in five Wisconsin doctors is age 60 or older, and as they’re retiring we need new doctors to choose primary care, particularly in federally designated primary care shortage areas – where 10% of the Wisconsin population lives.

Health Care Reform anticipated this particular need, and has been working to address the shortage. Just this week, the Administration announced $9.1 million in funding to medical students, through the National Health Services Corps’ Student to Service Loan Repayment Program. This program was made possible by an initial investment of $300 million through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and in the first five years of health care reform implementation, over $1.5 billion will be invested. The program provides loan repayment assistance of up to $120,000 to students who commit in their final year of medical school to primary care in one of the federal shortage areas after their residency. The Wisconsin Office of Rural Health also provides health professional loan assistance for those practicing in shortage areas.

Primary and preventive care is key to the success of health reform, and the health of our country overall. Encouraging young medical professionals to respond to this calling is a good way to help fill this need.

Sara Eskrich