Vermont continues to lose its primary care doctors — but the rate of loss is slowing, a new survey from the state’s Department of Health shows.
[…]

The Illinois State Medical Society said on Aug. 28 that it is receiving reports of health insurers accelerating downcoding activities in advance of a new state law set to take effect in 2028. The Transparency in Downcoding Act, signed into law after unanimous passage by both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly, will prohibit certain insurer practices related to claim downcoding starting Jan. 1, 2028.

[…]

State Rep. Dr. Matt Longjohn (D-Portage) and legislative and healthcare partners held a press conference today announcing the Primary Care Transformation Package. The bipartisan eight-bill package is designed to increase investments in primary care, expand access and build the healthcare workforce Michigan communities need. The policies respond and provide solutions to persistent gaps in primary care access across Michigan, with shortages spanning 75 of the state’s 83 counties and nearly  one in three Michiganders lacking regular access to primary care.

[…]

A new effort in the Michigan House seeks to bring more doctors to the state and put them in areas they’re needed most, amid a growing primary care shortage.

According to MiDOCS, there is a primary care shortage in 74 of Michigan’s 83 counties, with nearly one in three people lacking regular access, particularly in rural areas.

[…]

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois has been paying some therapists, pediatricians and other clinicians less money for the same services they’ve always billed, after quietly changing how it evaluates medical claims starting July 1. Doctors and mental health advocates across the state say the shift, known as downcoding, is already straining practices and could push some providers out of the insurer’s network altogether.

Texas faces the most severe health care strain in the United States, driven by the nation’s highest uninsured rate and a shortage of primary care physicians, according to the Health care Strain Index released by ConciergeMD.

[…]

[…]

Unfortunately, comprehensive health care has become a luxury and privilege, when it should be a right and expectation for all. Amidst a physician shortage, too many patients across New York are struggling to find a doctor. Less than 25% of physicians in the state practice primary care. The most rural counties have four primary care doctors for every 10,000 people, less than half the state and national averages.

[…]

Legislation would gradually boost primary care spending over time

[…]

[…]

After decades of advocacy, Atkinson sees a glimmer of hope in the form of a sprawling bill that recently passed in the House of Representatives. The legislation would significantly boost investment in primary care, though it’s unclear if the funding will hold as House and Senate negotiators must now reconcile the two chambers’ packages.

[…]