California faces a shortage of medical specialists for the state's estimated 1 million children with serious medical conditions. Why?
According to a new Center policy note and related April 25 webinar, although pediatric subspecialists who care for the sickest children require additional training, they are generally paid less than physicians who care for adults.
The result is a disincentive to specialize and a subsequent dearth of experts capable of caring for children with severe and often multiple diseases or health conditions that vary in severity. These include chronic conditions such as asthma as well as acute and complex diseases affecting the heart, lungs, and other bodily systems.
Access to pediatric subspecialty care is also particularly difficult for children of color, which account for 64 percent of children with special health care needs in the state, as well as the uninsured and those living in rural areas.
The study's lead author Daphna Gans, and co-authors, recommend improving access to pediatric subspecialists by reducing the cost of subspecialty training. For instance, a federal loan repayment program should be available to pediatric subspecialists.
Other recommendations include addressing payment and reimbursement issues and increasing the use of nurse practitioners and physician assistants in children's health care.
Attend the April 25 webinar.
About the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research
The UCLA Center for Health Policy Research (CHPR) is one of the nation’s leading health policy research centers and the premier source of health policy information for California. UCLA CHPR improves the public’s health through high quality, objective, and evidence-based research and data that informs effective policymaking. UCLA CHPR is the home of the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) and is part of the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health.