The Pediatrician Shortage Crisis: Causes and Consequences
In Spokane, Washington, Steph Berend's story exemplifies a growing crisis in pediatric care across America. Her seven-year-old son, struggling with a speech disorder and sensory issues, has been on multiple waitlists for over a year, desperately seeking specialized care. This delay isn't just an inconvenience; it's impacting the child's quality of life, leading to uncontrolled muscle movements and even bullying at school.
The Scope of the Problem
The shortage of pediatricians, particularly specialists, is a nationwide issue:
Medical students are increasingly opting out of pediatrics
In 2020, there was an 8% decrease in students choosing pediatrics compared to 2015
By 2024, about 30% of pediatric residency programs had unfilled positions
Dr. Sallie Permar, chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine, warns that this shortage means "children don't have timely access to high-quality care, especially when they have chronic or complex disease.
Root Causes
The primary driver behind this shortage is financial:
Consequences
The shortage has far-reaching effects:
Extended wait times for appointments, sometimes over a year
Delayed diagnoses and treatments for children with complex needs
Increased stress on families seeking care
Potential long-term health impacts on children due to delayed interventions
This crisis in pediatric care highlights a critical need for systemic changes in medical education, healthcare funding, and possibly loan forgiveness programs for pediatric specialists. Without addressing these issues, the health and well-being of America's children remain at risk.
In a significant legal action, the U.S. Justice Department filed a lawsuit against Visa on Tuesday, accusing the global payments giant of maintaining an illegal monopoly in the debit card market. The lawsuit, filed in New York, claims Visa has engaged in “exclusionary” practices, preventing competition and harming innovation by forcing restrictive agreements on its partners. As a result, according to the DOJ, American consumers and merchants have been forced to pay billions in excessive fees.
The antitrust lawsuit alleges that Visa’s unchecked market dominance has led to inflated fees far beyond what would be possible in a competitive environment. Attorney General Merrick Garland stated, “We allege that Visa has unlawfully amassed the power to extract fees that far exceed what it could charge in a competitive market.” Garland emphasized that the repercussions of Visa's behavior extend beyond isolated charges, impacting the cost of nearly everything in the economy. As merchants absorb these fees, they pass them on to consumers through higher prices or reduced quality of service.
Visa, along with Mastercard, has dominated the payment processing landscape, growing their combined market value to approximately $1 trillion as digital and card-based payments have replaced cash in stores and online. These companies act as intermediaries, routing payments between banks for merchants and cardholders, and taking a cut of each transaction.
Visa’s response to the DOJ suit has been dismissive. General Counsel Julie Rottenberg called the lawsuit “meritless,” arguing that the payments industry is thriving with new entrants and innovations. “Anyone who has bought something online or checked out at a store knows there is an ever-expanding universe of companies offering new ways to pay for goods and services,” Rottenberg said.
The outcome of this case could have far-reaching consequences for both the payment processing industry and consumers. If the DOJ succeeds, it could reshape how fees are structured, potentially leading to lower costs for consumers while challenging Visa’s longstanding market dominance.
In a significant legal action, the U.S. Justice Department filed a lawsuit against Visa on Tuesday, accusing the global payments giant of maintaining an illegal monopoly in the debit card market. The lawsuit, filed in New York, claims Visa has engaged in “exclusionary” practices, preventing competition and harming innovation by forcing restrictive agreements on its partners. As a result, according to the DOJ, American consumers and merchants have been forced to pay billions in excessive fees.
The antitrust lawsuit alleges that Visa’s unchecked market dominance has led to inflated fees far beyond what would be possible in a competitive environment. Attorney General Merrick Garland stated, “We allege that Visa has unlawfully amassed the power to extract fees that far exceed what it could charge in a competitive market.” Garland emphasized that the repercussions of Visa's behavior extend beyond isolated charges, impacting the cost of nearly everything in the economy. As merchants absorb these fees, they pass them on to consumers through higher prices or reduced quality of service.
Visa, along with Mastercard, has dominated the payment processing landscape, growing their combined market value to approximately $1 trillion as digital and card-based payments have replaced cash in stores and online. These companies act as intermediaries, routing payments between banks for merchants and cardholders, and taking a cut of each transaction.
Visa’s response to the DOJ suit has been dismissive. General Counsel Julie Rottenberg called the lawsuit “meritless,” arguing that the payments industry is thriving with new entrants and innovations. “Anyone who has bought something online or checked out at a store knows there is an ever-expanding universe of companies offering new ways to pay for goods and services,” Rottenberg said.
The outcome of this case could have far-reaching consequences for both the payment processing industry and consumers. If the DOJ succeeds, it could reshape how fees are structured, potentially leading to lower costs for consumers while challenging Visa’s longstanding market dominance.
In a significant legal action, the U.S. Justice Department filed a lawsuit against Visa on Tuesday, accusing the global payments giant of maintaining an illegal monopoly in the debit card market. The lawsuit, filed in New York, claims Visa has engaged in “exclusionary” practices, preventing competition and harming innovation by forcing restrictive agreements on its partners. As a result, according to the DOJ, American consumers and merchants have been forced to pay billions in excessive fees.
The antitrust lawsuit alleges that Visa’s unchecked market dominance has led to inflated fees far beyond what would be possible in a competitive environment. Attorney General Merrick Garland stated, “We allege that Visa has unlawfully amassed the power to extract fees that far exceed what it could charge in a competitive market.” Garland emphasized that the repercussions of Visa's behavior extend beyond isolated charges, impacting the cost of nearly everything in the economy. As merchants absorb these fees, they pass them on to consumers through higher prices or reduced quality of service.
Visa, along with Mastercard, has dominated the payment processing landscape, growing their combined market value to approximately $1 trillion as digital and card-based payments have replaced cash in stores and online. These companies act as intermediaries, routing payments between banks for merchants and cardholders, and taking a cut of each transaction.
Visa’s response to the DOJ suit has been dismissive. General Counsel Julie Rottenberg called the lawsuit “meritless,” arguing that the payments industry is thriving with new entrants and innovations. “Anyone who has bought something online or checked out at a store knows there is an ever-expanding universe of companies offering new ways to pay for goods and services,” Rottenberg said.
The outcome of this case could have far-reaching consequences for both the payment processing industry and consumers. If the DOJ succeeds, it could reshape how fees are structured, potentially leading to lower costs for consumers while challenging Visa’s longstanding market dominance.