Primary care doctor shortage continues in Mass.

Fewer physician specialties are facing critical shortages than in past years, but primary care physicians are still in short supply, according to a new survey of the state's doctors released today that has implications for the national debate on extending health care coverage to more Americans.

For the fourth year in a row, the primary care specialties of internal medicine and family medicine experienced shortages in 2009, said a report issued today by the Massachusetts Medical Society. The survey questioned doctors, hospital administrators, and medical education leaders about the medical workforce.

Fewer internal medicine physicians are accepting new patients -- 44 percent compared to 58 percent last year. Family medicine doctors are also taking fewer new patients, down to 60 percent this year compared to 65 percent last year. Wait times for an appointment went in opposite directions. The average time it takes to see an internal medicine doctor dropped from 50 to 44 days. It also took 44 days to see a family medicine doctor, but that was longer than the 36 days it took last year.

"With our state health reform initiative, we quickly learned that universal coverage doesn’t equate to universal access," Dr. Mario Motta, president of the society, said in a statement. "Our analysis can be instructive on a national level about what physician supply means for access to care when universal coverage is implemented."