Missouri Physician Shortage Facts
THE PROBLEM
Physician supply lags patient demand nationally and across Missouri. As supply falls, patients wait longer to see a doctor, and doctors burn out.
By 2030:
![](https://ciceroinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/healthcare-icon-1.png)
The U.S. is projected to have 120,000 too few doctors nationally.1,2,4
- Nearly 40% of American physicians will reach retirement age.
- The United States will face a shortage of over 120,000 physicians.
- 32% of Missouri’s physicians are within retirement range right now.
![](https://ciceroinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/healthcare-icon-2.png)
Missouri is projected to be short 3,102 doctors.2,3
- Primary care alone is projected to be short 687 providers.
![](https://ciceroinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/MO-ranking-stats.png)
Overall, Missouri ranks in the bottom half of states for primary care and physician supply availability.4
![](https://ciceroinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/MO-HPSAs.png)
111 of Missouri’s 114 counties are partial health professional shortage areas (HPSAs).5,6
- 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.
Ranked against other states,
Missouri’s doctor-to-patient ratio is:
13% worse
for emergency medicine
19% worse
for geriatric medicine
21% worse
for Internal medicine
47% worse
for preventative medicine
Louisiana Physician Shortage Facts