An increasing amount of medical care is being delivered by nurse practitioners,
Analyzing data compiled by Medicare, the newspaper found that the number of nurse practitioners receiving payments from the program rose by 15% in 2013 compared to the previous year, and by 11% for physician assistants. By contrast, the number of general practice physicians paid by Medicare declined by 5% from the prior year.
Experts told the newspaper that the increasing number of non-physician providers reflects the response of the entire health care system, not just Medicare, to a shortage of doctors and the increasing number of Americans able to access medical care as a result of the Affordable Care Act.
Non-physician providers are conducting such advanced medical services as electrocardiograms, caring for severely injured trauma patients, lumbar punctures pelvic examinations and assisting with heart bypass operations.
Medicare made payments of $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 of American Medical Colleges that the nation will experience a shortage of 46,000 to 90,000 physicians by 2025.