(KFF Health News) – Five years after the World Health Organization declared covid a global pandemic and the first Trump administration announced a national emergency, the United States faces a crucial shortage of medical providers, below the projected need for an aging population.

That could have lasting effects on care, particularly in states like Iowa with significant rural populations. Experts say the problem has been building for a while, but the effects of the pandemic accelerated the shortages by pushing many doctors over the edge into early retirement or other fields. (Read More)