Florida TaxWatch Analyzes Florida’s Physician Shortage

Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch released Addressing Florida’s Escalating Physician Shortage: Strategies and Solutions, an analysis of Florida’s ongoing physician shortage and recommendations to help the state keep pace with the increased demand for healthcare professionals.  

Florida TaxWatch President and CEO Dominic M. Calabro said, “Physicians’ education and training require a minimum of 10 years, which means there’s no time to waste when it comes to addressing the already alarming shortage of healthcare professionals in Florida. Florida TaxWatch commends the Florida Legislature for making this a top priority this session, and we thank the industry leaders who continue to champion it across our state every day. We are proud to present this report as a resource to help guide those important conversations in the days, weeks, months, and even years ahead.”

Evaluating Florida’s physician shortage was a recommendation of Florida TaxWatch’s Institute on Quality Health and Aging, which regularly convenes respected healthcare and aging-focused leaders from across the state to influence the government watchdog’s research agenda and ultimately help shape policies and practices that will promote Floridians’ wellbeing and longevity.

According to the Florida TaxWatch report, the number of active physicians in Florida has actually increased by nearly 30 percent in the last decade, and yet despite that growth, there is still a deficit of healthcare professionals. In fact, in 2021, the state’s supply of family medicine, general internal medicine, and pediatric physicians was only enough to satisfy 71 percent, 62 percent, and 94 percent of demand, respectively. Moreover, all 67 counties in the state have at least one Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) as designated by the federal government.

Florida TaxWatch warns that this pressing problem is likely to become more dire in the years ahead as Florida’s population continues to grow and age and physicians leave the profession. One particular estimate found that the state will have 22,000 vacant physician positions by 2030, which is one of the largest anticipated shortages nationwide, second only to California. Additionally, rural areas will be disproportionately affected, because unlike the rest of the state, many have already experienced decreases in healthcare professionals, and in four counties – Calhoun, Glades, Gulf, and Liberty – at least one-quarter of physicians report they plan to retire in the next five years. 

Florida TaxWatch’s recommendations to address Florida’s physician shortage are as follows:

1. 1. Update the annual Florida Department of Health Physician Workforce survey to include questions about retention, helping policymakers craft targeted solutions and monitor outcomes. 
   2. Increase slots for high-quality, prestigious General Medical Education Programs by investing state dollars into the expansion of established residency programs.  
   3. Alleviate the strain on physicians by incentivizing the incorporation of telehealth technology, such as remote monitoring, with the delivery of primary care. 
   4. Expand the scope of practice for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses to specialties beyond primary care. 
   5. Review Florida’s medical legal landscape, focusing specifically on bringing down insurance premiums. 

For more information and to access the full report, please click here.

About Florida TaxWatch
As an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit government watchdog and taxpayer research institute for more than forty years and the trusted eyes and ears of Florida taxpayers, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) works to improve the productivity and accountability of Florida government. Its research recommends productivity enhancements and explains the statewide impact of fiscal and economic policies and practices on taxpayers and businesses. FTW is supported by its membership via voluntary, tax-deductible donations and private grants. Donations provide a solid, lasting foundation that has enabled FTW to bring about a more effective, responsive government that is more accountable to, and productive for, the taxpayers it serves since 1979. For more information, please visit www.floridataxwatch.org.