Reform requires more doctors

If Congress passes legislation providing universal health care, Sen. Claire McCaskill acknowledges that it would be a challenge to find enough primary care physicians to care for an influx wave of new patients.

One of the more contentious aspects of pending federal health care legislation is known as the “public option,” a mechanism that would provide government-run health insurance to potentially millions of people. President Barack Obama and other Democrats have positioned the proposal as a way to steer people out of hospital emergency rooms and into doctor’s offices.

McCaskill, D-Missouri, spoke to reporters after a late August town hall meeting on federal health care legislation. She said the potential doctor shortage is a relevant concern because part of the goal is to provide preventive care that could forestall future ailments.