Rural regions face declining numbers of physicians: report

The last five years or so have not been easy for independent physicians attempting to make a living by serving patients in rural areas of the nation.

A new report quantifies the losses of independent doctors and medical practices in rural areas of the United States. Some physicians still are working in those regions but have become employees of health care systems, private equity owners or insurance-related entities that hire doctors.

Others have left altogether — thousands, according to a new study by the Physicians Advocacy Institute (PAI), with data compiled by Avalere. The study examined the time from the start of 2019 to the opening of 2024.

In this video series, PAI CEO Kelly Kenney outlines the findings and discusses some of the ramifications for patient care. To find out where the worse is happening, this slideshow presents states losing the most physicians in rural areas.