'Primary care is on the verge of collapse,' US News Article | Reuters.com

US News Article | Reuters.com: "By Maggie Fox

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Primary care, the basic medical care that people get when they visit their doctors for routine physicals and minor problems, could fall apart in the United States without immediate reforms, the American College of Physicians said on Monday.

'Primary care is on the verge of collapse,' said the organization, a professional group that certifies internists, in a statement. 'Very few young physicians are going into primary care and those already in practice are under such stress that they are looking for an exit strategy.'

Dropping incomes coupled with difficulties in juggling patients, soaring bills and policies from insurers that encourage rushed office visits all mean that more primary care doctors are retiring than are graduating from medical school, the ACP said in its report.

The group has proposed a solution, calling on federal policymakers to approve new ways of paying doctors that would put primary care doctors in charge of organizing a patient's care and giving patients more responsibility for monitoring their own health and scheduling regular visits.

U.S. doctors have long complained that reimbursement policies of both Medicare and private insurers reward a 'just-in-time' approach, instead of preventive care that would save money and keep patients healthier."