PCC Statement: Wal-Mart Decision Shows Fundamental Flaws in How U.S. Values Care
The Primary Care Collaborative’s President and CEO Ann Greiner issued the following statement in response to the announcement that Wal-Mart will be closing all in-store primary care clinics:
“Wal-Mart’s recent announcement only confirms what every primary care clinician across the country already knows: we have a system that doesn’t support the ongoing trusted primary care relationships that deliver better outcomes, create better patient experiences and enhance affordability.
“Until policymakers can shift to a system that allows clinicians to focus on keeping people healthy instead of hunting down payment codes for every service, more and more Americans will struggle to find a usual source of care they trust.
“Policymakers must make fundamental changes to how our health care system values care, starting with the underlying flaws in how and how much Medicare pays for primary care – flaws duplicated across payers in both the private and public sector.”
Recent research conducted by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office confirmed what years of evidence has shown: when properly structured and supported, primary care leads to lower costs and better care.
About the Primary Care Collaborative
The Primary Care Collaborative (PCC) is the leading national, non-partisan and multi-stakeholder voice advocating for better health and wellbeing for all Americans by strengthening primary care. The PCC unifies and engages diverse stakeholders in promoting payment/delivery policies and sharing best practices that encourage the growth of team-based, whole-person primary care. Learn more here.
