The health care industry seems to be profiting off this by having more care provided by nurse practitioners and physician assistants but billing the insurers same as they would charge for M.D./D.Os.
But the industry benefits from a constrained supply of doctors because it means less competition; laws ultimately require doctors to be in charge of a practice. Some laws are now even restricting the number of PA/NP's that can be supervised, but it's not a strong effect.
Some states permit NP's to practice without a physician, but PA's all require a supervising physician.
“With this move, Iowa joins five states that have removed the legally mandated relationship between physician assistants and doctors, according to the American Academy of Physician Associates.”