Increasing Investment in Primary Care-Lessons from States

Primary care is the foundation of a high-performing health care system — it saves lives, reduces chronic disease burden, and is associated with more equitable health outcomes. High-quality primary care is comprehensive, coordinated, and integrated with other parts of the health system, but providing this model of care requires funding and resources. So far, governments and insurers in the United States have not made this investment.

For decades, the U.S. has underinvested in primary care, spending only 5 to 7 cents of every health care dollar on primary care. Other high-income countries spend 13 cents per dollar. This lack of investment contributes to workforce shortages and lack of consistent access to providers. It is likely also contributing to worse health outcomes for patients.

Over the past two decades, states have aimed to address these issues by increasing their investment in primary care. More than 20 states have done so in different ways, including measuring and reporting on primary care spending, creating primary care task forces, setting spending targets, and mandating increases in spending on primary care.