( CNN ) -- When the Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act in a 5-4 ruling Thursday , the American Medical Association was quick to release a statement in support of the `` historic '' decision that will give more people access to health coverage . But ( and there 's always a `` but '' ) medical professionals across the country are wondering : When an additional 32 million Americans get medical insurance , who exactly is going to treat them ? `` We 've expressed some concerns before about whether or not we 're going to have enough physicians out there , '' AMA President-Elect Ardis Hoven said . They have good reason to worry . When Thailand enacted the `` 30-bhat scheme '' in 2002 , requiring all patients to be covered by health insurance , 14 million people were added to the country 's health care system . The result was longer waits at the doctor 's office and complaints of subpar service . 8 countries that have universal health care . A physician shortage in the U.S. was expected even before the Affordable Care Act was signed into law in 2010 , according to the Association of American Medical Colleges . Now the group estimates that there will be a shortage of 63,000 doctors by 2015 and 130,600 by 2025 . The shortage is a result of several factors . A large number of medical professionals are reaching retirement age , as is a large group of patients : Nearly 15 million will become eligible for Medicare in the coming years , the Association of American Medical Colleges reports . On top of that , there is a lack of residency spots available for students graduating from medical school . In 2011 , more than 7,000 were left with degrees that said `` M.D . '' but no place to continue their education , according to the National Residency Matching Program . Why your waiter has an M.D . Many residency spots are funded by Medicare , and there 's a cap on the number a hospital can claim each year . That number , about 100,000 , has remained steady since 1997 . While the Affordable Care Act will redistribute some unused residency slots and increase funding for the National Health Service Corps , more needs to be done , advocates say . `` There will be real physician shortages if we do n't do more to lift the residency cap , '' said Dr. Atul Grover , the Association of American Medical Colleges ' chief advocacy officer , in a statement . `` People on both sides of the aisle have realized the need to train more doctors . '' Opinion : We do n't need more doctors . The biggest scarcity will be in primary-care physicians , Hoven said , thanks to better insurance coverage for preventative care . `` I would like to note that these are not newly appeared patients , '' she said . `` They 've been in emergency rooms , for things that are not necessarily an emergency . It 's going to be a reshuffling of where they get their care and when they get their care . '' This , of course , is a good thing , Hoven said . Doctors will be able to detect diseases earlier and focus on wellness , which in turn might lower health care costs . But that will require more internists , ob/gyns and pediatricians -- at a time when many private practices are struggling to stay afloat financially . Nurses would be a perfect fit to handle the increase in preventative medicine practices , said registered nurse Karen Daley , president of the American Nurses Association . Nursing 's holistic approach focuses on wellness and community-based health needs . Unfortunately , America has been talking about the nation 's nursing shortage since the early 2000s , and the numbers have n't improved . `` We 're going to be facing serious shortages unlike anything we 've ever seen in the next decade , '' Daley said . The American Nurses Association was a staunch supporter of the Affordable Care Act , and the group wrote a brief in support of the legislation . Even if it 's not a perfect law , Daley said , there are several important protections that have been put in place , protections that will give access to millions who otherwise might have avoided care . But , there 's always a `` but . '' `` This is going to have to be a system that , in order to be effective , is going to have to be able to meet demands for the work force . We need more resources to provide more access . ''
American Medical Association expresses concern over the shortage . They say there will be a shortage of 63,000 doctors by 2015 . Shortages due to lack of funding for health programs and baby boomers .