Employers & Purchasers

Leading employers, business coalitions, and health plans are increasingly looking for ways to reduce costs and drive consumers toward more cost conscious, high-value care options. These forces are encouraging market-driven models – such as value-based benefit design, high-deductible health plans, and benefit design innovations – which are becoming more widespread. Significant evidence exists that access to primary care is one of the highest value interventions – making it a natural emphasis for these programs, but this pathway is not always emphasized in these new models and other health plan offerings. To leverage this opportunity, national policy changes are needed, and strong, evidence-based articulation of the value needs to be made to both employers and insurers to drive innovation that emphasizes primary care.

PCC works closely with employers, health plans, and purchasers to promote employee benefit programs that expand access to primary care services, including advanced, team-based models like the medical home.  Those paying for the care of many individuals have a unique ability to advocate for high-value care that meets patient needs and seeks to prevent avoidable chronic conditions that would increase overall costs. This work includes: (1) dissemination of evidence that support the connection between access to high-performing primary care and improvements in health care quality outcomes and affordability as well as work-force productivity; and (2) advocacy around emphasizing increased access to patient-centered medical homes and primary care services in all health insurance programs, including under purchaser-driven models such as value-based benefit design and high-deductible health plans.