Researchers recently found that the retirement age of primary care physicians has steadily continued at the same rate even though there is a shortage of physicians in the field.
The retirement age of these primary care physicians has become a growing concern, but it appears to be continuing despite economy struggles and policy changes.
According to the study, “When Do Primary Care Physicians Retire? Implications for Workforce Projects,” published in the Annals of Family Medicine, data do not show earlier retirement for physicians, despite the heavier burden of new regulations from the government.
The study’s data come from 2010 through 2014, which was the highest period of new regulations that the U.S. federal government has introduced. Despite this, there has not been any additional evidence of physicians stalling on retirement due to the economy's stumbling.
Some experts believe it may take approximately three more years before payment reforms and related regulations start to change retirement age for primary care physicians.
"Those narratives are out there, but in this snapshot, we don't see them," Dr. Winston Liaw, medical director for the Robert Graham Center and co-author of the study, said. "We're still concerned about attrition in the workforce and a leaky pipeline."
