Advocacy Focus: Building the Family Physician Workforce

Meeting the Needs of Primary Care

Primary care physicians are more critical than ever to U.S. health, even as the family medicine workforce pipeline has never been more challenged.

The Academy is working to restore growth to America's most important medical specialty, ensuring effective and accessible care for generations to come. To accomplish this, the Academy advocates constantly to clear regulatory and legislative pathways to an expanded physician workforce.

Why We Fight

Primary care is the only health care component where an increased supply is associated with better population health and more equitable outcomes. Despite the significant role that primary care plays in our health system, primary care accounts for a mere 5 to 7 percent of total health care spending.

U.S. health is threatened by a primary care workforce shortage, and the country will need up to 48,000 more primary care physicians by 2034. Meeting this imperative means clearing major roadblocks — a mission on which the Academy is intently focused.