Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Primary Care Doctors Being Pushed To Brink Of Extinction By Mega Mergers And Urgent Care Clinics
Is the doctor in? In this new medical age of urgent care centers and retail clinics, that鈥檚 not a simple question. Nor does it have a simple answer, as primary care doctors become increasingly scarce. 鈥淵ou call the doctor鈥檚 office to book an appointment,鈥 said Matt Feit, a 45-year-old screenwriter in Los Angeles who visited an urgent care center eight times last year. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e only open Monday through Friday from these hours to those hours, and, generally, they鈥檙e not the hours I鈥檓 free or I have to take time off from my job. (Abelson and Creswell, 4/7)
Meanwhile, the health care industry experienced strong job growth in March聽鈥
Manufacturers added jobs for an eighth straight month in March, driven mainly by companies that produce durable goods like cars, computers and metal products. Hiring in the sector rose by 22,000 in March and has risen 232,000 over the past year. Health care extended its strong run of gains, adding more than 22,000 jobs in March. The gain was driven by hiring by hospitals, dental clinics and physicians' offices. Professional and business services, which include accounting, advertising and administrative support, added 33,000. (4/6)