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Kentucky Physician Shortage Facts

02/01/2024

THE PROBLEM

Physician supply lags patient demand nationally and across Kentucky. As supply falls, patients wait longer to see a doctor, and doctors burn out.

The U.S. is projected to have 120,000 too few doctors nationally.

Nearly 40% of American physicians will reach retirement age by 2030.¹
By 2030, the United States will face a shortage of over 120,000 physicians.²
32.3% of Kentucky physicians are within retirement range right now.³

Kentucky is projected to be short 2,926 doctors by 2030.

Kentucky ranks in the bottom half of all states for primary care doctor availability and for overall physician supply.⁵

107 of Kentucky’s 120 counties are health professional shortage areas (HPSAs).⁶

HPSA designations indicate areas where there are 3,500 or more patients for every one provider.⁷

Kentucky’s physician-to-patient ratio is 23 percent worse than the national average.

86% worse for infectious disease medicine

47% worse for internal medicine

36 worse in pediatric critical care medicine

40% worse in preventive medicine

44% worse in psychiatry