One of the study's authors, Jack Resneck Jr., M.D.,
says the reasons behind the long wait are twofold.
What's more, even if the Medicare funding were to increase today,
Dr. Resneck points out that it would take years for those new
dermatologists to enter the workforce.
But Dr. Resneck says Kaiser is more of an integrated health-care system,
in which the dermatologists and primary-care doctors are often located in the same building or complex, making it more feasible to hire a rover.
According to Dr. Resneck, the nation has been producing roughly
300 new dermatologists a year for the past 30 to 40 years as the population has steadily grown, particularly the millions of baby boomers reaching retirement age.