WASHINGTON, D.C. -- If you think your wait at the doctor's office is long, get ready to wait a little longer. The health care industry is issuing a serious warning tonight.
A flood of more than 30 million new patients will hit next year because of the
Affordable Health Care Act, but there aren't enough doctors to treat them.
"In my state of North Carolina, we have more than a million people who don't have access to primary health care because of a shortage of providers," said Sen. Kay Hagan (D-North Carolina).
Lawmakers are working on a solution.
A senate committee invited health care workers to recommend ways to bolster the number of primary care physicians.
One doctor suggested raising primary care physician pay or decreasing the pay of specialists.
Another said doctors and specialists make similar pay in the United Kingdom, which is why the nation has no problem filling open primary care physician slots.
Congress is expected to take action in the coming months.
