America has 2.61 physicians per 1,000 people, ranking it 26th out of 35 countries in an OECD database. Not all of these professionals are best suited to meet the current crisis due to age and overspecialization. And even among doctors who are, there are bugs and barriers in U.S. health care that make it harder for them to do their job.
The predicament highlights structural problems in the status quo that are coming into sharper focus as rising Covid-19 case counts threaten to strain the system. All options need to be on the table to make sure people get the care they need without straining those who provide it.
