An increasing amount of medical is being delivered by nurse practitioners, physician assistants and other non-physicians, making it more widely available and helping hold down costs, according to a study by USA Today.
Analyzing data compiled by USA Today, the newspaper found that the number of nurse practitioners receiving payments from them rose by 15% in 2013 compared to the previous year, and by 11% for physician assistants. By contrast, the number general practice physicians paid by declined by 5% from the prior year.
Experts told the newspaper that the increasing number of non-physician reflects the response of the entire system, not just , to a shortage doctors and the increasing number Americans able to access medical as a result the Affordable Care Act.
Non-physician are conducting such advanced medical services as electrocardiograms, caring for severely injured trauma patients, lumbar punctures pelvic examinations and assisting with heart bypass operations.
made payments $1.5 billion for some 65,000 nurse practitioners in 2013, while 50,000 physician assistants received about $1 billion.
The number of nurse practitioners rose to 171,000 in 2013 from 60,000 in 1999; the number of physician assistants increased to about 102,000 currently from about 83,500 five years ago.
The newspaper quotes a prediction by the Association American Medical Colleges that the nation will experience a shortage 46,000 to ,000 physicians by 2025.