Shortage of PCPs due to ACA

Shortage of PCPs due to ACA

Loan forgiveness programs such as through the National Health Service Corp (http://nhsc.hrsa.gov/) have been an important means of urging primary care providers to work in underserved regions of the country. This can include rural areas as well as medically underserved areas (MUAs) that can exist anywhere but often are found in low income urban areas. Some countries have a medical education system that is tuition-free but requires medical school graduates, upon graduation, to give a year of service to their country in a medically underserved region. With the shortages of primary care providers that we have currently, and which is projected to become worse as the ACA is fully enacted, should US medical schools consider this option in medical education? What would be the pros and cons for this system in the US?