Why it’s so hard to find a primary care doctor in WA: HealthLink [Video]

SEATTLE — Getting an appointment with a new doctor in Washington can be a challenge, with patients sometimes waiting weeks or even months for an initial visit. 

The problem is complex but boils down to supply and demand.

Data from the Washington the Office of Financial Management Health Care Research Center found there were approximately 7,987 primary care physicians serving the state, which in 2024, had a population of nearly 8 million. 

Primary care physicians in the research comprised family medicine and general practice, geriatric medicine, general internal medicine and general pediatrics doctors. 

The study also demonstrated the the physician-to-population rate of primary care, which went up from 97 physicians per 100,000 people in 2021, to 101 in 2022, and then decreased slightly to 100 in 2023.

The American Academy of Family Physicians projects that …