Families USA Statement for the Record for Senate Budget Committee Hearing on How Primary Care Improves Health Care Efficiency

Families USA submitted this statement for the record in advance of the Senate Budget Committee Hearing, “How Primary Care Improves Health Care Efficiency”, on March 6th, 2024.

Robust and comprehensive primary care systems lead to better health and more equitable health outcomes. Unfortunately, our current health care payment and delivery system has historically undervalued primary care and preventative services. As a result, the number of primary care providers has significantly declined, leading many people in the U.S. to report having no usual source of care and contributing to poor health outcomes.

Families USA believes Congress must work to ensure health care payment and delivery in the U.S. truly values and invests in primary care. Specifically, Congress can do this by:

• Establishing new methods to more accurately determine physician payment rates that have historically under-reimbursed high-value activities and services like primary care.
• Advance the movement toward value-based care through the development of a primary care hybrid model within the Medicare Shared Savings Program.