How to Excel at Access — and Why It Matters
Abstract
Health care spending in the United States totaled $3.3 trillion in 2016, more than double the amount spent in 2000. Twenty percent of the cost went toward physician services, with primary care accounting for approximately 7 percent.
These rising costs have real consequences for patients. A Kaiser Family Foundation survey found that, because of cost, 67 percent of the uninsured and 21 percent of the insured had forgone needed medical care. To address costs, payers are increasingly adopting reimbursement models that reward or penalize physicians based on their ability to keep costs down.
Now here’s the good news: When it comes to rising health care costs, we in primary care are not the main problem, but we are a key part of the solution. This article will explain how improving access to primary care can reduce costs and the steps practices should begin taking now.
RPR Commentary
The effectiveness of primary care is dependent upon 8 attributes, accessibility, coordination, sustained care, comprehensiveness, partnership with patients, person-centeredness, integration, and accountability. This article summarizes the practical lessons learned about accessibility from the CPC project and other recent PCMH initiatives.