Questions to Consider

Non-Physician Practitioners in Primary Care
by
Timothy Bilash MD, MS
June 17, 1994
www.DrTimDelivers.com

1. What percentage of the health care provided in the US by dollar amount is primary care, outpatient? Physician services are roughly 10% (1993) of total expenditures, and one-third of physicians are in primary care (p 4): thus, even if replaced all these physicians with non-physician practitioners, would save at most 2% of total costs.
   
   
2. How much of the cost issue is related to what will be reimbursed, what commerce will be generated by it (employment/ economic program effects), and not what is needed?
   
   
3. "It remains a federal health policy priority to educate and use PA's in primary care roles." (p27) Why is this a federal role and not a state or private role? It is the state and local and private agencies that have the responsibility for medicine, not the Federal Government at least constitutionally.