Hiding in Plain Sight: Investing in Primary Care Can Heal Our Dysfunctional Health Care System

A new issue brief from the Primary Care Collaborative outlines how strengthening primary care can help slow the rise of chronic conditions, restore trust in the health system and curb rising costs.

Robust primary care can achieve better health outcomes for individuals, families and communities — but dwindling investment has left primary care without the resources and care teams to effectively serve communities.

In this issue brief, the Primary Care Collaborative explores how underinvestment in primary care contributes to major crises the American health care system, including a steady rise in chronic conditions, erosion of trust in the health system and ballooning costs for consumers, employers and state and federal programs.

The issue brief also provides concrete solutions that policymakers and industry leaders can put in place to help strengthen primary care – helping improve quality of care, curb rising costs and promote a healthier nation.

Reversing the decline in primary care investment will pay off — in expanded access to needed and timely care, improved health outcomes and slower cost growth for patients and families, employer benefit costs, and government budgets.

This issue brief was made possible with support from: