Can't See Your Primary Doctor In NJ? Pay Might Be To Blame

NEW JERSEY — If you've ever had trouble making an appointment with your primary care physician in New Jersey, a new report released by a healthcare advocacy group says a doctor shortage likely prompted by low pay could be to blame.

A new report released by the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute revealed there is a shortage of primary care physicians in the Garden State. According to the state Board of Medical Examiners, New Jersey has approximately 5,300 primary care physicians practicing in community settings. Among those, only half report working full-time, according to the report.

The report also revealed that New Jersey has among the lowest total primary care spending and the lowest commercial and Medicaid payment rates in the country. In fact, New Jersey ranks 48th out of 50 states in primary care spending.

According to the report, doctors don't control how they're paid and their salary differs from state to state. Not only does New Jersey Medicaid pay primary care doctors half of what Medicare pays, primary care doctors also make 50 percent less than specialists, the report notes.

The research also concluded that commercial insurance also pays primary care providers about 93 percent of Medicare rates in New Jersey, while the reimbursement average is 120 percent nationwide.

"Existing patients often wait months. Others struggle to find a doctor who's even taking new patients," Alfred Tallia, chair of the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, told New Jersey 101.5. "Lots of people get no care until small problems grow into emergencies."

To attract more primary care physicians to New Jersey, the Quality Institute is proposing the state increase Medicaid reimbursement rates while also developing an advanced primary care model to attract more physicians to the state.