Family physicians provide their communities with essential health care services. Often overlooked by many family physicians and policymakers alike is the economic benefit of family medicine in their communities.
In addition to the health care services they provide, family physicians are significant generators of economic activity. Family physicians provide employment, purchase goods and services, and even generate income to other health care organizations, such as hospitals and nursing homes. A recent study by the Robert Graham Center for Policy Studies evaluated the impact of family physicians on a state-by-state basis. These figures do not account for a family physician’s contribution to the generation of income for other local health care organizations such as hospitals and nursing homes.
Below, download a PDF issue brief discussing the economic impact of family physicians in your state. The issue brief quantifies the economic impact of a single family physician, as well as the cumulative impact of all family physicians, in the state. These briefs also include a map of your state detailing health professional shortage areas (HPSAs) and where family physicians* generally are located in the state.**
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Economic Impact of Family Physicians
* Family physicians are listed by the abbreviations GP (General Practitioner), FP (Family Physician), FPG (Family Physician – Geriatrics) and FSM (Family Physician – Sports Medicine).
** Physician practice location information was pulled from the AMA Masterfile. The Masterfile is the best available source of data representing the national physician workforce, but does have its limitations. Data is collected from licensing boards, associations and members (only 25 percent of those eligible), and does not always include the correct office address or status (direct patient care or administration and active or retired, for example). It also fails to capture all osteopathic physicians. Readers should look at the maps in these briefs for a global landscape of providers in their state and to gain an appreciation for the impact that this cohort of family physicians could have as an economic engine, not as a perfect representation of every individual physician.
** Physician practice location information was pulled from the AMA Masterfile. The Masterfile is the best available source of data representing the national physician workforce, but does have its limitations. Data is collected from licensing boards, associations and members (only 25 percent of those eligible), and does not always include the correct office address or status (direct patient care or administration and active or retired, for example). It also fails to capture all osteopathic physicians. Readers should look at the maps in these briefs for a global landscape of providers in their state and to gain an appreciation for the impact that this cohort of family physicians could have as an economic engine, not as a perfect representation of every individual physician.
Emerging Issues
Health Insurance Exchanges & Co-ops
Health Insurance Exchanges: Variation in State Efforts (*PDF file)
2011 State Legislation: Health Insurance Exchanges (*PDF file)
Health Care Cooperatives: Definitions and State Examples (*PDF file)
2011-2012 State Legislation: Health Cooperatives (*PDF file)
Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs)
Accountable Care Organizations: Can They Rein In Health Care Spending for States? (*PDF file)
2011 State Legislation: Accountable Care Organizations (*PDF file)
Patient-Centered Medical Homes (PCMH)
2011 State Legislation: Medical Homes (*PDF file)
2009 – 2010 State Medical Home Legislation (*PDF file)
State Definitions of the Medical Home (*PDF file)
State Qualification / Certification Standards for the Patient-Centered Medical Home (*PDF file)
Other Emerging Issues
Does Graduate Medical Education Also Follow Green? (Robert Graham Center, 2010) (*PDF file)
Economic Impact
Medicaid
Medicaid FAQ for Patients (*PDF file)
(*PDF file. About PDFs)
