Across the country, primary care clinicians face many challenges. While still recovering from the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, practices find themselves trapped in a payment system that is underfunded, overly complicated and, ultimately, unstable.
In a new op-ed for Health Affairs, Primary Care Collaborative President and CEO Ann Greiner, American Academy of Family Physician’s Executive Vice President and CEO R. Shawn Martin and Humana Chief Medical Officer Kate Goodrich welcome recent action by leaders in Congress and the Administration.
In the piece, Strengthening Primary Care Reimbursement Models to Improve Medicare’s Outcome and Efficiency, the authors explore the impact of new CMS payment models, discuss how primary care fits into the ongoing discussion about Medicare payment reform and share evidence that stronger investment in primary care leads to lower costs and better outcomes.
The op-ed underscores how payment innovations are crucial for improving patient outcomes and system efficiency. By investing in primary care, the U.S. can enhance the patient-clinician relationship, manage chronic conditions more effectively, reduce unnecessary emergency room visits and generate substantial cost savings for Medicare.