Addressing Medical School Tuition Inflation to Address Healthcare Disparities

The PPACA has adopted a very noble cause in promoting access among those who most need health care.  However, access to insurance is a wholly different issue than access to physicians and other health care professionals. The already exorbitant doctor shortage will only continue to grow as the PPACA starts on its path towards full access for all Americans.  Without providing incentives for the brightest among us to work in these struggling communities (as they will likely receive lower pay as compared to their city counterparts) while juggling enormously high debt, it's difficult to see how the PPACA addresses this issue. Average medical student indebtedness continues to rise as the cost of medical school tuition balloons upward. Thus, I propose that policymakers focus their attention on the issue of access to high-quality health care throughout America by lowering tuition inflation and providing more incentives for Americans to pursue medical education and practice in underserved areas.