On March 5, 2025, the Primary Care Collaborative (PCC) and United States of Care—with support from the Commonwealth Fund—co-hosted a webinar exploring key findings from new research exploring the public’s perception of and experiences with primary care.
Drawing on the research, presenters discussed the steps researchers, policymakers and other stakeholders must take to strengthen the nation’s primary health care infrastructure to improve care for patients.
Speakers included Natalie Davis (United States of Care), Ann Greiner (Primary Care Collaborative), Venice Haynes (United States of Care), Tom Warcup (Rhode Island Primary Care Physicians Corporation), Corinne Lewis (The Commonwealth Fund) with Lisa Hunter (United States of Care) introducing the panel.
To kick off the webinar, Corinne Lewis from the Commonwealth Fund, Natalie Davis from US of Care and Ann Greiner from PCC outlined the current state of primary care and the US health system. The presenters outlined the critical role comprehensive primary care plays in improving health and addressing major crises and emphasized that ongoing access challenges undermine the effectiveness of the health system.
All three noted the importance of capturing patient experiences—a major driver behind the Commonwealth Fund’s partnership with United States of Care and PCC’s efforts to disseminate the research.
The presenters then introduced United States of Care’s Venice Haynes, who walked through main takeaways from the Commonwealth Fund’s research.
The findings explored the state of primary care, beginning with challenges such as clinician shortages (especially in rural areas), high clinician burnout, practice consolidation and affordability barriers. Utilizing a national survey and focus groups with rural and young populations, the study found that while most adults value and are satisfied with primary care, access and affordability remain major obstacles. Young adults, rural residents and people of color in particular face significant barriers.
Major key takeaways included that satisfaction with primary care increases with age, patients value clear communication, trust and cultural responsiveness more than insurance factors, and that cost, insurance gaps and transportation are leading barriers to care. Strong rapport and fostering a long-term relationship with a clinician also proved critical in advancing comprehensive care.
Participants also described finding a clinician as a stressful experience. And even once they found one, patients were still frustrated with rushed visits, long wait times and high out-of-pocket costs.
Greiner then began a presentation that stressed the urgency of strengthening primary care. The foundation of primary care is weakening, with only 19% of new physicians entering the field. This comes as policymakers and employers increasingly expect it to manage chronic disease, behavioral health and social needs. Despite primary care comprising nearly half of all health visits, it receives less than 5% of U.S. health spending.
She also pointed to encouraging developments, including new CMS payment models and bipartisan legislation aimed at reform, but emphasized that greater investment and more stable financing are essential. She concluded that how primary care is funded directly shapes patient access, quality and trust, making stronger support critical to the nation’s health.
A conversation between Haynes, Greiner and Rhode Island Primary Care Physicians Corporation’s Tom Warcup soon followed.
Haynes opened the panel by noting that many respondents had received primary care services and that overall satisfaction was high but sounded alarm bells about major crises on the horizon. She noted that patients struggle to navigate the complex health system and that they are frustrated they don’t get to build meaningful relationships, as they often feel unheard or rushed in their primary care experiences.
Warcup, a rural primary care clinician, noted that underinvestment and flawed payment systems have left primary care practice financially imperiled—hampering access and primary care team’s ability to spend more time with patients. Warcup mentioned policy reforms that create well-designed value-based care models could provide primary care with sufficient resources and support to reverse some of the trends. He cited Sen. Whitehouse’s (D-RI) and Cassidy’s (R-LA) 2024 legislation as a potential building block for payment reform.
Greiner echoed Warcup’s frustration with the payment system, reiterating his point that it was a major driver of the issues patients expressed in US of Care’s surveys. She noted that underinvestment has led to attrition, with fewer and fewer clinicians opting into primary care; the problem has been exacerbated by clinician burnout, caused by flawed payment systems that place major administrative burdens on primary care teams. Greiner also noted that a lack of alignment among payers over what documentation is required makes administrative burden even onerous.
To close, United States of Care reiterated the need for more research on patient experiences in primary care and encouraged further collaboration to advance reform.