G. Richard, MD, MSPH Naazneen Pal, MPH Eduardo C. Gonzalez, MD Jeanne M. Ferrante, MD Daniel J. Van Durme, MD John Z. Ayanian, MD, MPP Jeffrey P. Krischer, PhD Tampa, Florida, and Boston, Massachusetts Submitted, revised, July 21, 1999. From the Department of Family Medicine (R.G.R., N.P, E.C.G., J.M.F., D.J.V) and the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute (R.G.R., J.P.K), University of South Florida, Tampa, and the Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham & Women’s Hospital and the Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School (J.Z.A.). Reprint requests should be addressed to Richard Roetzheim, MD, MSPH, Department of Family Medicine, University of South Florida, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd, MDC 13, Tampa, FL 33612.
In the health policy and reimbursement arenas, there is an ongoing debate concerning whether specialists should be allowed to serve as primary care physicians. The insurance companies, legislators, and regulators who wrestle with these decisions should consider important factors, such as early detection of cancer when they establish their policies. Finally, when our society looks at the overall delivery of health care services, we must strive not just for the right number of physicians but also for an appropriate balance between primary care and specialty physician supply to achieve optimal health outcomes.
Acknowledgment
Dr Roetzheim and Dr Ayanian were supported through Generalist Physician Faculty Scholars Awards from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
