The Decline of People with a Primary Care Physician Raises Concern

A study* recently illustrated a significant decline in Americans who have primary care providers. Research shows a significant decline in people with a designated primary care physician. Specifically, the number of people in the U.S. with primary care physicians dropped 2 percent between 2002 and 2015. Among 30-somethings, there was an even sharper decline – those with primary care providers dropped by 7 percent during the same time frame.

The trend raises concerns that the inconsistency in primary care doesn’t bode well for the long-term health of the population or the sustainability of the current healthcare system. Ideally, primary care is supposed to be the underpinning of all healthcare because it gives people the opportunity to identify and manage health concerns before they turn into unmanageable or deadly conditions. People with a designated primary care provider tend to be healthier, live longer, and feel more satisfied with their care than people who don’t. So how do we encourage primary care utilization and provide more access to better health and longevity?

Provide clients with Healthcare2U’s Direct Primary Care membership

Healthcare2U’s Direct Primary Care Plus (DPCplus) membership is a solution to these concerns. DPCplus encourages patients to establish a relationship with a primary care physician by removing the barriers to affordable and convenient care. The membership provides unlimited access to primary and urgent care, wellness and chronic disease management through Healthcare2U’s nationwide Private Physician Network (PPN)™.

Within these clinics, Healthcare2U provides doctor appointments for acute issues at $10 a visit for primary care, $25 a visit for urgent care and around-the-clock bilingual Virtual DPC (such as telehealth and video chat) for $0 out-of-pocket cost. In addition to unlimited acute visits, Healthcare2U physician partners also treat 13 of the most prevalent chronic disease states for the same $10 visit fee. Healthcare2U practices generic-first protocols to reduce pharmaceutical costs for employers and their employees.

Employers across the nation can offer their employees unlimited access to Healthcare2U’s DPCplus membership for a monthly fee starting at $45.

____

Are you a benefits agent interested in offering your clients a nationwide solution to primary care? Contact Healthcare2U for more information about our integrated hybrid direct primary care membership that provides organizations of all sizes with unlimited primary and urgent care, nationwide. Download our membership details here.

* A JAMA Internal Medicine study by Dr. David Levine, an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School and an associate physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.