The new law promises more will be insured, but some expect a shortage of doctors to see them.

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Preparations are under way in York County to extend primary health care access to a possible 38,000 uninsured residents in 2014, which is when the new federal health care law takes full effect.

It is still unknown, however, if the efforts will be enough to absorb all the new patients.

The 2011 Healthy York County Coalition Community Health Needs Assessment found that 9 percent of York County residents do not have health insurance, Jess Ensminger, Family First Health CEO said in an email. That means any health care costs for preventive care, emergency room visits and prescription medications are out-of-pocket expenses for them.

"In addition, 12 percent (of the study's population) responded that they had skipped seeing a doctor because of cost in the previous 12 months," Ensminger said.

Dr. Wanda Filer has been practicing family medicine in York County for 25 years and works at Family First Health. She also is a board member of the American Academy of Family Physicians. There, she said, she has seen evidence of an upswing in patients who delayed seeking medical care because of cost.

But once all those people get access through the federal law, they might not be able to find a primary care doctor.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act makes room to expand Medicaid coverage to income-eligible residents. Not all physicians can afford to accept Medicaid coverage.

Billing concerns doctors

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York County girds for promise, problems of new health care law