A decline in the number of U.S. primary care physicians suggests an increasing emphasis on specialty care, according to VMG Health's 2020 "Healthcare M&A Report."
Three brief insights:
1. There were 1 million active physicians in the U.S. as of 2019, up from 814,000 in 2000.
2. Internal medicine and family medicine/general practice physicians account for about 12.9 percent and 12.7 percent of total active physicians, respectively, down from about 15.1 percent and 14.8 percent, respectively, in 2010.
3. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education recognizes over 150 specialties and subspecialties.