How many people in the US do not have a primary care provider?
Asked by: Maybell Bechtelar | Last update: December 30, 2025Score: 4.1/5 (9 votes)
What percent of Americans don't have a primary care provider?
Nearly a third of Americans lack access to primary care services, including routine checkups, while 40 percent of U.S. adults say they're delaying care or going without because of the financial costs.
Is it normal to not have a primary care physician?
If you're healthy overall, or if you already visit specialists for different medical conditions, you might not have a primary care provider (PCP). But while skipping primary care might seem like it saves time and makes life easier, it can actually lead to stress, confusion and complications over time.
Is there a lack of primary care providers?
Current and projected shortages
Based on a minimum adequate population-to-primary care physician ratio of 3,500 to 1, HRSA estimates that the United States needs 13,075 additional physicians to remove all primary care shortage designations.
How many people in the US do not have healthcare coverage?
In 2023, 26 million people — or 8 percent of the population — were uninsured, according to a report in September 2024 from the Census Bureau. While those numbers represent a significant portion of the population, the uninsured rate in 2023 remained at one of its lowest levels in history.
Primary care doctor shortage worsening across U.S.
What percentage of the US has no access to healthcare?
Introduction. An estimated 26 million Americans, or 8 percent of the U.S. population, lacked health insurance in 2023.
What happens in America if you can't afford healthcare?
Americans are no longer taxed for not carrying health insurance. Medical debt contributes to a large number of bankruptcies in America. Access to quality primary care is critical, but doctors have the right to refuse patients without insurance or who are able to pay out-of-pocket expenses.
Do you need a primary care provider?
A primary care physician can help you stay healthy and be the first to treat any health problems. Make time to find a PCP who is a partner in your long-term care, and have regular checkups. A relationship with a primary care physician can help you detect and manage a wide range of health issues.
What is the main reason physicians are leaving primary care?
Physician Burnout and Its Consequences
The factors contributing to burnout include ongoing physician shortages, system inefficiencies, administrative burdens, and increased regulatory and technology requirements (AMA, 2023).
Is there a physician shortage in the US?
By the end of this year, the United States is expected to have a shortage of up to 64,000 physicians. GlobalData, The complexities of physician supply and demand: Projections from 2021 to 2036, AAMC, March 2024.
Why don't doctors want to go into primary care?
But the dispirited feeling that drives doctors away from primary care has to do with far more than money. It's a lack of respect for nonspecialists. It's the rising pressure to see and bill more patients: Employed doctors often coordinate the care of as many as 2,000 people, many of whom have multiple problems.
How long can you go without seeing a doctor?
In general, you should see a primary care doctor at least once a year for a general checkup and blood work. Chronic conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease, require more frequent checkups.
Why is it so difficult to see a doctor?
GP Appointments Are Harder to Book Due to GP Shortages and Rising Demand. Aging patients with complex conditions, fewer new GPs entering the field, and a high demand for services are causing appointment delays.
Why are doctor visits so expensive?
There are many factors that contribute to the high cost of healthcare in the country including wasteful systems, rising drug costs, medical professional salaries, profit-driven healthcare centers, types of medical practices, and health-related pricing.
Why are so many doctors not accepting new patients?
For physicians, new patients require more time than someone they've been seeing for years, simply because it takes time to get to fully understand a person's medical history, personal life, and goals.
Why do most people have a primary health care provider?
Routine visits with your primary care provider not only help with your comfort level, but they also build on your health history. Knowledge of your health history, as well as your family health history, is imperative for prevention of diseases and also helps your doctor catch early symptoms of serious conditions.
Is primary care declining?
Despite a rapidly aging population with higher levels of chronic disease, the number of primary care physicians (PCPs) per person has decreased. The share of all clinicians practicing primary care (including nurse practitioners and physician assistants) stagnated around 28% between 2016 and 2021.
Should everyone have a primary care physician?
According to the most recent figures, only two-thirds of 30-year-olds have a PCP. In fact, everyone should have a PCP, doctors say. People who regularly see a PCP report improved health outcomes, according to a large-scale study, also published in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Why do people avoid primary care?
Traditional barriers limiting access to or ease of seeking medical care, such as lack of health insurance and time constraints, were the most commonly cited reasons for avoiding medical care, consistent with prior research.
Why is it so hard to get a primary care provider?
This shortage is attributed to various factors including an aging population (both patients and doctors are getting old), a growing emphasis on specialized medicine which draws physicians away from primary care, and fewer medical graduates choosing primary care as a field.
Does Medicare require a primary care provider?
If you have Medicare Advantage PPO (Preferred Provider Organization), you don't need to declare a primary care physician—the same goes for Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans. With Special Needs Plans (SNPs), you may need to choose a primary care doctor or a care coordinator, depending on your plan.
Which type of doctor treats the largest range of ailments?
Family physicians are trained to diagnose and treat an entire spectrum of medical issues for patients of all ages. “Family physicians have a broader scope,” Dr. Doggett explains.
Which health insurance denies the most claims?
According to the analysis, AvMed and UnitedHealthcare tied for the highest denial rate, with both companies denying about a third of in-network claims for plans sold on the Marketplace in 2023, respectively.
Which state does not require health insurance?
New Jersey, California, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and the District of Columbia require their residents to have health insurance coverage or face penalties. Vermont recommends that residents have coverage, but there's no noncompliance penalty.
What country has the best healthcare?
According to the 2024 Mirror, Mirror report, Australia, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom have the best healthcare systems, though the differences in overall performance among most countries are relatively small.