Specialist Shortage

The Wall Street Journal reports:

As the House and Senate intensify the process of melding their two health bills, pediatric groups are lobbying to secure more funding for training and higher
reimbursement for pediatric sub-specialties, in the hope of encouraging more doctors-in-training to enter the field. Specialization typically requires up to three years of training beyond a general pediatrics residency and can pay salaries less than half the rate of adult specialty medicine. At present, 17 states lack at least one hysician in one of 13 sub-specialties.

Wednesday, in a briefing for members of a congressional caucus on children's health, the National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions, known as
Nachri, will present results of a December survey. In it, members said that shortages of doctors across a multitude of pediatric sub-specialties are forcing 90% of hospitals to delay appointments, lose patients or refer them elsewhere.

Of particular concern, given the rise in autism-related disorders, is a shortage of development-behavioral experts; half of hospitals in the survey reported that it takes more than three months to see a developmental pediatrics specialist, one of the longest wait times.