Orthopedic Projections

Orthopedic Projections

by

gourt

The Labor Dept states that Orthopedic Surgeons represent about three to four percent of all physicians.

Employment opportunities expected to grow faster than average between now and 2014 for Orthopedic surgery. As the population of the US ages, there will be a higher incidence of musculoskeletal conditions that occur with aging. As our population ages and our need for health care grows the need for health care in the US is expected to grow. Several factors are impacting the future demands in both directions, the shrinking economy, the aging population and finally the impending health care “reform”.

Physician Shortage

About 640,000 physicians of all specialties are currently practicing and more than 50% of them are primary care physicians. As many as 33% of today’s practicing physicians may retire by the year 2020. There is particular concern about primary care shortages in the near future as older physicians retire and younger ones seek higher paying specialties instead of primary care. Rural areas are especially vulnerable to attracting and retaining physicians.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts continued growth for surgery jobs, particularly in rural areas of the U.S. where there is a low ratio of physicians to population. Earning potential for Orthopedic Surgeons can range from $350,000 to more than $500,000, according to the AMCC; the highest salaries are found in the private practice arena. Because Orthopedic Surgery is a popular area of specialty, jobs may be more competitive.

Slow Economy and Aging Population

The general economic slowdown and the ensuing job loss across the country has had a direct impact on the revenue stream to physicians. When people lose their jobs, they also lose their health care benefits and so access to health care. This lose is felt more in some parts of the country than others but this should mitigate any shortages for the short term.

Last years stock market collapse has had a major impact on older physicians’ decisions. Many doctors are postponing retirement because of the economy’s impact on their retirement stockholdings. But even a three- to five-year delay won’t address the impending loss of experienced physicians to retirement. This postponement has resulted in fewer jobs being offered and graduating residents not finding as many opportunities as before. Residents rather than committing themselves to less desirable jobs are opting for Orthopedic locum jobs and waiting before committing to full time employment.

Health Insurance Reform

Another large uncertainty is the the nature of national health reform. If the health care reform actually works in increasing the enrollment into health care insurance then the long term the aging population and these increased numbers should push demand for services and therefore cost higher. However, no one yet knows what will happen to reimbursement rates from Medicare. Because of these and other factors many physician practices are holding off making any decisions until they have a better idea of how the health reform will impact these reimbursements and their bottom line.

Robert Truog founded of Physemp.com in 1994 as one of the first online physician employment sites for all specialties including:

Orthopedic Job

,

Locum Orthopedic Job

and

Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Job

.

Article Source:

ArticleRich.com