The US medical workforce is facing a shortage of doctors, with more nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) being granted licenses to perform medical services on their own. This move is seen as a way to get more providers into underserved communities, particularly in areas where doctors are choosing more lucrative specialties over general practitioners. However, large health systems are more supportive as it is cheaper to hire NPs than MDs. Some experts argue in favor of relaxing the rules for NPs and allowing them to deliver care to more patients, but there may be a limit on how much this can be achieved. As more NPs are allowed to start and operate their own practices, they may be drawn away from primary care due to financial incentives.