Survey: Mass. Doctors Still In Short Supply

Massachusetts has the highest percentage of insured residents of any state, but access to medical care, especially to primary care doctors and a wide number of specialists, continues to be tight.

According to an annual survey by the Massachusetts Medical Society, more than half of family primary care practices said they were not accepting new patients this year, the highest in four years.

Access to specialists is also tightening.

Ten of 18 specialties, including emergency medicine, general surgery, orthopedics, and psychiatry, have been found in short supply. That's three more than last year, the study found.

The survey also found that the wait time for new patients seeking doctors specializing in internal medicine increased to 53 days, the highest in six years.