Maine Physician Shortage Facts
THE PROBLEM
Physician supply lags behind patient demand nationally and across Maine. As supply falls, patients wait longer to see a doctor, and doctors burn out.
By 2030
The U.S. is projected to have 120,000 too few doctors nationally.1,2,3
- Nearly 40% of American physicians will reach retirement age.
- The United States will face a shortage of over 120,000 physicians.
- 39.3% of Maine physicians are within retirement range right now.
Maine is projected to be short 120 primary care providers.4,5,6
- There are only 35 residency slots in Maine for primary care each year.
- 45.2% of those residents will practice out of state.
Maine does not currently have any M.D. programs in the state, thus relying mainly on other New England medical schools to provide the majority of their physicians.7
13 of Maine’s 16 counties are health professional shortage areas (HPSAs).8,9,10
- Low-income citizens are disproportionately affected by these shortages.
- HPSA designations indicate areas where there are 3,500 or more patients for every one provider.
- 85,169 Maine residents live in an HPSA.
Ranked against other states, Maine’s doctor-to-patient ratio is:
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