Doctors, nurses, and other clinicians

Paths that fix these help them.

• U.S. territories get capped, lower federal health funding: Territory providers are paid less than mainland peers.
• Claim denials: Providers absorb unpaid claims and appeal work.
• Prior authorization delays and blocks care: Approval requirements take time from physicians and staff.
• Private equity roll-ups in medicine: Private equity ownership reduces their autonomy.
• Physician shortage, especially in primary care: Physician shortages contribute to burnout.
• Nursing and direct-care shortages and burnout: High turnover and low aide pay burden care workers.
• Clinician burnout from paperwork and EHR work: Documentation and insurer paperwork drive burnout and early retirement.
• Malpractice system: slow, costly, and drives defensive medicine: Liability brings insurance premiums and stress.
• About $1 trillion a year in administrative cost: Time goes to billing and insurer rules instead of patients.
• Nursing home understaffing and quality: Understaffing burdens nursing-home staff.
• Chronic underfunding by government budgets: Public budget competition constrains funding for their work.