between patients and their physicians is at the core of every quality healthcare delivery system.  It’s based on trust and assurance that your doctor will be there to meet your families’ healthcare needs.

Sadly, Kentucky doesn’t have enough physicians to meet our communities’ needs.  A 2007 independent study conducted by the Kentucky Institute of Medicine indicates Kentucky needs nearly 2,300 more physicians to meet national standards.  Trends in the study suggest the problem will get worse unless corrective action is taken.

The Kentucky Medical Association (KMA), a non-profit association dedicated to protecting the rights of patients and the physicians who care for them, has a plan to remedy the physician shortage and improve the cost and delivery of the healthcare in Kentucky.  The five-part solution calls on state and federal public officials to:

• Ease health insurance burdens on families and physicians.
  
  
• Increase support for Kentucky’s medical schools and rural residency programs. 
  
  
• Reject predatory lawsuits by passing commonsense medical liability reform.
  
  
• Safeguard our seniors by improving Medicare and Medicaid funding for physician care. 
  
  
•  Ensure quality of care by keeping physicians as the leaders in healthcare delivery teams.